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maximum “tolerable” levels. Additionally, for most chemicals, there often is no
“proof” or “near proof” of adverse effect; yet in the meantime, an even greater
number of workers might be exposed. This is why prevention is so crucial to
chemical risk management.
It is always better to anticipate, rather than to rely on an
after-the-fact approach.
DEFINITIONS
A definition of key concepts and terms is necessary:
Hazard: It is the source of danger. It can be defined as the set of inherent
properties of a chemical, mixture of chemicals or processes that has the potential
to adversely affect the environment or the organisms it contains, during
production, usage or disposal.
Risk: It is important to distinguish risk from hazard. Hazard refers to the intrinsic
properties of a chemical, whereas risk refers to the chance or probability that the
chemical will cause an adverse health or environmental effect.
If there is a high risk that a certain chemical will cause cancer to exposed
workers, then it is very likely that some of those workers will develop cancer. If
the risk is low, then it is less likely that the workers will develop cancer. However,
even if the risk of some health effect is low, the chemical in question is still a
hazard.
Depending on the circumstances, a “low risk” may be acceptable to the people
exposed. Determining the “acceptable risk” is part of the process for setting
safety standards. “Setting safety standards” is not a scientific but a political issue.
Therefore, it is important that workers have a say in their definition.
Risk assessment involves identifying the origin of the hazard (the chemical
of concern, for instance, and its adverse effects, target populations and conditions
of exposure), characterizing the risk, assessing exposure (by modelling,
measuring or monitoring), and estimating the risk. Thus, it consists of
identification and quantification of the risk resulting from a specific use or
occurrence of a chemical, and takes into account the potential harmful effects on
individuals of using the chemical in the manner and amount proposed, as well as
all possible routes of exposure.
Risk management covers the whole range of actions taken to prevent, minimize
or otherwise control specific risks posed by a certain chemical or situation. This
also refers to the search for substitutes for problematic chemicals, or for new
and different processes to avoid the use of chemicals.
In this regard, the notion of safety is even more difficult to define than risk or
hazard. The safety of a chemical, in the context of human health, is the extent to
which a chemical may be used in the amount necessary for the intended purpose,
with a minimum risk of adverse health effects. It can also be defined as a
"socially acceptable" level of risk. But it is usually unclear which part of society is
judging the risk. Workers that are exposed to the risk are likely to be more
concerned about the safety of a chemical than others are. Therefore, it is very
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