7 - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Web Resources for Chemical Safety Information: An Overview
Nargund, I N 1 , Dr.Mallinath Kumbar 2 , Phulsundar, R D 1 , Dileep, J R 1 and Bhaskar, K 1
Abstract
Increase in the number of chemical industrial units coupled with complex
technologies and process and use of hazardous chemicals have necessitated the
formulation and implementation of effective methods for providing safe and health
working conditions in work places. The effectiveness of planning and execution of
programmes on chemical safety is substantially related to the relevant information.
Information is crucial for the safe handling, storage, transporting, personal hygiene,
spills and leaks, fire hazards, environment hazards, disposal etc.
Information sources exclusively available to a broad field such as Chemical Safety
and sources in other fields, which contain Chemical Safety information, are
numerous. In this paper an attempt has been made to present an overview of the Web
Resources which depicts credible information on Chemical Safety. Information
products and databases developed and provided by the individual organizations are
also highlighted.
Keywords: Chemical Safety; Web Resources;
1. Introduction
The need for accurate information on Chemical Safety has always been essential for
ensuring the safe working conditions. Providing accurate information to Safety
professionals, Safety Engineers and other health professionals is an essential role of
information specialists. Through the early 1980s most information sources were key
textbooks, review articles and monographs. Within the last 10 years, Safety Professionals
have had access to new sources of information readily available through the Internet.
A simple search on ‘Chemical Safety’ using a search engine such as Google returns over
2. Industrial Safety and Health Information:
For any industrial establishment information is required mainly at three levels viz., at
Management Level; Production Level; and at Marketing level. Information at production
level relates to: production techniques, technical data, maintenance; inventory; quality
control etc. Besides these, Industrial Safety & Health (ISH) information is also one of the
main components of Industrial Information System.
2.2 Crore related web pages.
It is not possible to detail even a small portion of the sites that provide general
information about Chemical Safety. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is not to review
all of these sites, but to give an overview and explain how to obtain relevant information
to improve and streamline the development of an effective Safety Programme.
1
Rare Materials Project, BARC, Yelwala, P.O. Mysore (inn@rediffmail.com)
2 Reader, Dept of Studies in Lib & Inf. Science, University of Mysore
113