Showing posts with label recommendation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recommendation. 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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Environmental, Health and Safety Policy Recommendation

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

ICF International, a consulting services company for technology solutions in the energy, environment, transportation, social programs, defense, and homeland security markets had released its recommendation on Environmental, Health and Safety Policy recommendation for the US Government, in a 36 page document.

One thing I like from the document is the way it explains and analyse inter-departemental competence in US Government in handling Nanotechnology's Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) issues. On the other hand, I am quite pessimistic that this report can encompass all of Nanotech's EHS issue.

The Reason? They focus mainly on the toxicity of nanomaterials (See: Part I, Framing the issue). The whole set of assumption which forms the rest of the report is based on this. It is not that this issue is not important, it is important and it reflects the most "current" nanotech EHS issue. However, it may not be that current in one or two years. Thus, I don't think that the rest of the recommendation can cover Nanotech EHS issue, other than the relationship between nanomaterials to human and the environment.

EHS issue on the second and third generation nanotechnology which covers active nanostructure will also need to be addressed. So far, I have not discover any research focusing on this.

You can download ICF International report here.