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In Australia, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and
Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) was established in 1990 under legislation to
aid in the protection of people at work, the public and the environment
from the harmful effects of industrial chemicals by assessing the risks
associated with these chemicals.
NICNAS has tracked the existence of
chemicals manufactured or imported in Australia and assessed the risks associated
with those chemicals, but have not attempted to quantify which chemicals
were most prevalent. NICNAS announced this month that, in cooperation with
industry, it is setting up a list of industrial chemicals that are manufactured and imported in Australia in large quantities.
The new information will be used to identify which chemicals should have particular
importance and provide community access to the chemical volumes found.
The list will contain information about the volume (manufactured or imported), which industries use the chemical, and its general uses.
Provisions have been made to make confidential information about the
chemical processes involved private.
Initially, manufacturers will be required to report on all industrial chemicals produced in Australia in a quantity of 100 tons or more during the 1999 calendar year. For this first collection period, industry will be asked to report on manufacture only. Information on imported chemicals will be collected later, after a pilot project to ensure the collection procedure is developed so as to minimize administrative burdens on industry and
NICNAS.
A guidance document has been prepared to help the chemicals industry determine the need to supply information in accordance with the Call for Information. For information and/or a copy of the guidance document and reporting form, please contact Dr Wafa El-Adhami at telephone: (02) 9577 9477; Fax: (02) 9577 9465; or E-mail:
eladhamw@nohsc.gov.au. The
NICNAS web site is at http://nohsc.gov.au/nicnas/
. The organization is run under the auspices of the Australian National
Occupational Health and Safety Commission (http://nohsc.gov.au/index.htm).
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AcuTech Consulting,
©2002, All Rights Reserved
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