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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

 


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