It's never too early for Proactive Risk Management

Released on Friday 7th August 2009

This month’s issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology features a commentary entitled ‘Essential features for proactive risk management’.

Written by a team of authors from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services (CDC), the commentary proposes’a proactive approach to the management of occupational health risks in emerging technologies based on six features:
  • qualitative risk assessment;
  • the ability to adapt strategies and refine requirements;
  • an appropriate level of precaution;
  • global applicability;
  • the ability to elicit voluntary cooperation by companies;
  • and stakeholder involvement.

The authors discuss potential starting approaches to proactive risk management under the following sections:

  • Qualitative risk assessment
  • Adaptive strategies
  • Precaution
  • Global
  • Voluntary
  • Stakeholder involvement

As part of the discussion on ‘Qualitative Risk Assessment’, the commentary quotes from the NIOSH report, published in March 2009, entitled ‘Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology: Managing the Health and Safety Concerns Associated with Engineered Nanomaterials’: ‘the decision to use respiratory protection should be based on professional judgment that takes into account toxicity information, exposure measurement data, and the frequency and likelihood of the worker's exposure’, while the wiki-based GoodNanoGuide is highlighted as an example for an effective, adaptive strategy to convey and update state-of-the-art knowledge on Risk Management in real time.

Follow these links to read the full content list of this month’s Nature Nanotechnology journal, or to download the full commentary (subscribers only).

 
Related Links:
The International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) has launched an online, community-driven wiki for information about the safe handling of nanomaterials called GoodNanoGuide. (1st June 2009)
 
The US Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a report entitled ‘Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology: Managing the Health and Safety Concerns Associated with Engineered Nanomaterials’. (30th March 2009)
 

 

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