Capacity Building for Chemicals Control: Legislation, Institutions, Public–Private Relationships

Abstract

The risk management of chemicals is of concern for many areas of society. In most countries this is generally regulated in several pieces of legislation, such as legislation on the environment, waste, work environment, consumer safety, rescue services, transport, trade, pesticides, cosmetics, additives in food and feedstuff, etc. Often different ministries are responsible for various aspects of the problem. This chapter focuses on the specific product and trade orientated type of preventive risk management, referred to below as chemicals control. This part of the system concentrates on measures for risk management early on in the supply chain, before or at the time industrial and consumer chemicals are introduced on the market. Chemicals control is in this sense horizontal in nature, comprising the first steps in all risk management activities, may they be for protection of workers, consumers, public health or the environment.