"The Role of Non-profit Civil Society in GHS Capacity Building and Implementation"

1
"The Role of Non-profit Civil Society in GHS
Capacity Building and Implementation"  

• Rico Euripidou

2
Summary of Presentation

• Why worry?
• Background role civil society/NGOs global
  South
• Perspective of non-profit civil society in health
  environmental issues
• Roles NGOs to contribute to GHS implementation
• The way forward?

3
Why worry?

• Establishing what is / is not potentially
  harmful to environment or health

4
Paracelsus1493-1541

• All substances are poisons
• It is the dose that differentiates a poison and a
  remedy.

5
Numbers of chemicals

• over 17,000,000 chemicals assigned CAS numbers
  Chemical Abstract Service
• 640,018 commercially available chemicals
  Chemfinder
• about 70,000 routinely transported in
  UK NCEC
• about 500 new chemicals introduced to UK market
  each year HSE

6
Numbers of chemicals

• about 5,000 chemicals with reliable medical
  toxicology information for acute and chronic
  exposure
• (Baxter P, British Medical Journal 1991)
• about 36 chemicals used as antidotes
• International Programme on Chemical Safety
  (WHO/ILO/UNEP)

7
Chemical incidents reported to NPIS by location,
1994 - 2000 (n5200)
8
Civil society NGOs in SA

• Environmental racism
• South Durban Vaal Triangle
• Sasolburg Richards Bay
• Disenfranchised communities
• High rates of illiteracy
• High rates of unemployment
• Poor living conditions (exacerbating exposure)

9
Why should NGOs be interested in GHS
implementation and effective chemical hazard
communication?

• NGOs/CSO represent communities - some live on
  the fence line with industry
• Multiple exposures (home, work, env)
• Generally limited chemical hazards awareness by
  end users
• Public Health / Environment focus
• Limited capacity governments to
  regulate/enforce/protect public health

10
What possible role could NGOs play in the
development of national strategies to implement
the GHS?

• Assess community awareness
• Pressure on govt.
• EU Human Rights Act
• SA Bill of Rights
• Between Depts. (health env)
• Pressure on Industry
• Proactive with communities (partnerships)
• Compliance
• Ensure tools/SDS accessible to most needy
• Awareness initiatives - networks
• Fieldwork / training users

11
Challenge to Industry - MSDS

1. Summary key points
2. First Aid
3. Summary of chemical information
4. Summary of human toxicology
5. Acute health effects
6. Chronic health effects
7. Exposure management
8. Summary of environmental toxicity

12
The way forward roles of NGOs to contribute to
GHS implementation

• Awareness raising,
• Lobbying and working with govt.
• Developing networks local, regional, national
  international.
• Equal partnerships with industry and government
  
• Sharing information
• Assessing risks, hazards - monitoring etc.
• Responding to health issues/concerns