|
Abstract
|
The regulation of chemical products is in the process of major restructuring in Europe, as discussions take place concerning the development and implementation of the Regulation, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals reforms. Some of these reforms are particularly relevant to small firms.
Despite the considerable regulatory attention paid to risk management strategies for chemical substances used at work, ensuring safety in their use in small enterprises remains a problem, largely because of the same multifaceted lack of resources in these enterprises that also make improving health and safety management in general a problem.
This paper examines current national and sectoral approaches to improving chemical risk management in small firms in several countries in the European Union, and considers the evidence of the effectiveness of current strategies and tools employed at these levels. It addresses the social and economic contexts in which the management of chemical risks takes place in small enterprises, and considers the success, sustainability and transferability of support for chemical risk management strategies and tools.
The paper finds that the available evidence points to the need for strategies and tools to address specific needs in relation to knowledge, understanding and support for improved preventive approaches to managing chemical in small firms. It further documents the substantial development of strategies and tools to achieve this in the different countries and sectors studied. It notes considerable variation in such approaches and also in the infrastructural support for them. It also notes that there has been little evaluation of the effectiveness of these approaches, especially in terms of the socio-economic factors that support or hinder application, transfer and sustainability. The paper argues that such evaluation is necessary if regulatory approaches, such as the Regulation, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals reforms, are to be implemented effectively in relation to small enterprises. |