Training for safety and environmental
protection in chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological research
and production
Introduction
Accidents in chemical industries that occurred during the last two
decades have reinforced, within the industry itself, a concept of corporate
responsibility and accountability. Education of line management in industrial
safety became a priority task. Hazop and Hazan studies are tools regularly
used in hazard identification leading to risk reduction in chemical
production. While industries in developed countries are introducing
sophisticated safety measures covering operational, health and environmental
aspects, in close interaction with the governments and the public, the
gap between North and South in safety education, research and implementation
of technical measures is widening rapidly. The increase in chemical
production and consumption in the developing world makes it essential
to promote North-South interactions to disseminate state-of-the-art
knowledge on safety and environmental protection in chemical production.
UNIDO / UNESCO / IUPAC / Cooperation
Having realized the importance of safety education, guidelines, legislation
and implementation, UNIDO/UNESCO and the International Union of Pure
and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) have come together and initiated a joint
training programme for safety and environmental protection in chemical,
pharmaceutical and biotechnological research and production. The joint
IUPAC/UNESCO/UNIDO Training Programme for Safety and Environmental Protection
allows safety experts from developing countries to learn about safety
and environmental protective measures by visiting and working in plants
of IUPAC Company Associates in the industrialized world.
The training programme was established in 1993, with the support of
IUPAC and UNIDO, following two IUPAC Workshops on Safety in Chemical
Production. The first of these was held in Basle, Switzerland, in September
1990, and the second in Yokohama, Japan, in June 1993. A third will
take place in the USA in spring 1997. UNIDO was, and is, actively participating
in all of these events.
New rounds of this training programme are now underway. Safety experts
from Argentina, Bulgaria, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria,
Poland, Romania and Thailand have received, or are going to receive
in-depth training at IUPAC Company Associates in Denmark, Germany, the
Republic of South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S.A. Applications
are now invited for a place on this training scheme in 1996 and 1997.
Training can cover such areas as:
- Process/safety management (PSM).
- Environmental protection.
- Hazop/Hazan analysis.
- Legislative measures and interaction between industry, universities,
government and the public.
- Emergency planning and model studies.
- 'Responsible Care' as accepted by the Chemical Manufacturers Association
and its relevance to developing countries
- Integrated approach for safety, health, environment (SHE) at unit
and company levels.
- Powder explosions.
- Static electricity.
- ISO 9000 series.
- MSDS.
- Training of university teaching staff in SHE.
Each scientist accepted for training, as part of this programme will
be assigned to an IUPAC Company Associate in an industrialized country.
The period of training will be three to four weeks. Accommodation, subsistence
and travel expenses will be provided for all candidates selected to
participate in the training programme.
Candidates successfully completing the training programme have to write
a detailed report, which has to be handed over to the information officer
of IUPAC as well as to the hosting company, and will receive a certificate
confirming their participation in the programme. IUPAC will hand over
one copy of the report to both UNESCO and UNIDO.
Qualifications and Experience of Candidates
Candidates selected for the training programme will be professional
scientists who are currently:
- (a) involved at a supervisory or managerial level in chemical companies,
government institutions or scientific institutions and,
- (b) engaged in aspects of safety and environmental protection in
chemical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological production.
Method of Application for Participation in the Training Programme
Forms can be obtained from UNESCO, Paris, France and UNIDO, Vienna,
Austria. Completed application forms (3 copies) should be submitted
to UNIDO.
Applications should be sent to:
Dr. B. Sugavanam
Senior Industrial Development Officer Chemical Industries Branch,
UNIDO Vienna International Centre,
P.O. Box 300, Vienna, Austria
UNIDO will transmit one copy each of the form to both IUPAC and UNESCO.
UNESCO:
Professor Vladimir Zharov,
Director Division of Basic Sciences
UNESCO, 1 rue de Miollis
75015 Paris, France