Showing posts with label osha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label osha. Show all posts
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Responsible NanoCode

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Alliance of UK institutions (Royal Society is one of them) plan to publish a self-regulatory guideline for nano industry. The project is aimed to be launched in 2008. This is from their website:

The Code will be a voluntary code. Like other principles-based codes, it will illustrate expected behaviours and processes, not standards of performance. Indicators of compliance could be developed at a later stage. The Code is not intended, however, to be an auditable standard, it will not detail levels of performance expected of companies, nor will it give guidance on definitions, characterisation and measurement.

It is not intended that this Code supersedes or replaces the development of future legislation and regulation for nanotechnologies; however, given the absence of comprehensive appropriate legislation at present, it aims to provide clear guidance about the expected behaviour of companies in relation to their nanotechnology activities. It is hoped that the Code and the process of its development might assist with the evolution of such legislation by clarifying the principles which may underpin more detailed, verifiable, standards.

I have not find any further details on the expected code. It only says there "...expected behaviour of companies in relation to their nanotechnology activities" so my guess is that it would relate to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health) issues. I don't know if this "code" would extends itself into environmental issue such as labeling and waste management. Nor did I find any information to the extent of "nano"-ness there, does it refer only to "material" science or future nanotechnologies will also be addressed?

Various organizations has issued "best practice" recommendations (click the tags below).

Find out more on Responsible Nanocode here.

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How the Nanotech Industry Practice Safety

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Are you in the nanotech industry? Are you a lawyer doing compliance review for your nanotech clients? You both know that there is no hard-and-fast rule on how safety has to be practiced, yet. But, there is always a risk for a lawsuit.

International Council on Nanotechnology at the Rice University has completed a Survey of Safety Practices in the Nanotech Industry. It surveys around 20 organizations dealing with Nanotech and summarized its findings. The result is downloadable here.

(H.T. to Kristen Kulinowski)