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What is chemical risk management?

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What is chemical risk management?

A chemical risk management system (CRMS) is a structured and systematic approach comprised of risk identification, prioritisation, implementation of risk reduction measures and controlling success.

Why is a chemical risk management system necessary?

Hazardous chemicals pose risks to workers, installations, the environment, and consumers. These risks may arise at the company’s own site, at downstream users’ facilities, and during waste treatment. 

A responsible chemical risk management system ensures the:

  • Safety of workers by minimising exposure during handling and disposal,

  • Installation safety by preventing accidents and reducing their impact if they do occur,

  • Environmental safety by controlling emissions from production, product use, and waste treatment,

  • Consumer safety by limiting exposure during normal and foreseeable use of products containing hazardous substances.

Ensure worker safety

  • At the own site/workplace
  • At the sites/workplaces of downstream users
  • During waste treatment of production and product wastes

Ensure installation safety

  • Prevent/reduce the likelihood of accidents
  • Minimise impact in the event of accidents
  • Ensure customers can protect their installation and neighbourhood

Ensure product safety

  • Prevent/reduce exposure of consuments in normal and foreseeable usage conditions

Ensure environmental safety by preventing or reducing harmful emissions.

  • From the production site
  • From the product during use
  • From waste treatment of production and product wastes
Use of substance, mixture, article

What are the main steps in chemical risk management?

  • Identify chemicals and in particular chemicals of concern that you use to make your mixtures and the potential risks resulting from their use,

  • Set priorities regarding which chemicals or usages to deal with first and to decide on the most efficient and effective means to rectify the situation,

  • Implement the relevant measures and activities,

  • Monitor whether the measures are successful, identify deficits in the system hindering the achievement of the goals and take corrective actions, or derive new priorities if the goals are achieved and new challenges can be met.

The scope of risk assessment—and the actions that follow—can vary depending on the perspective and objectives of the assessment. Ideally, all relevant goals should be considered in order to avoid reducing risks in one area, while inadvertently increasing them in another.

A robust risk management system should extend beyond the immediate impacts of production sites. It must also account for:

  • Product usage: how chemicals behave and affect health and the environment during their usage.
  • End-of-life stage: including waste treatment, recycling, and potential reuse, which may introduce new risks.
  • Upstream impacts: advanced assessments also consider risks associated with the production of the chemicals themselves and the sourcing of raw materials used in their manufacture.

By integrating these stages, organisations can better anticipate and mitigate risks throughout the entire lifecycle of a chemical, supporting safer and more sustainable practices.

Corporate risk management systems

A corporate risk management system approach ensures a continuous learning, an efficient use of resources and sustainable and consistent decision-making, which should secure your company’s overall operations.

The CRMS concerns the majority of the internal processes and business units, as well as relations and communication with suppliers, customers, and the authorities. 

All units concerned need to communicate and cooperate to ensure information flows and best decisions are taken. If potential changes concern the composition (and performance) of your mixtures, you should also involve your customers.

What are the main elements of a chemical risk management system?

A CRMS consists of:

  • Chemical policy, potentially as part of a larger corporate or environmental policy,

  • Procedures for priority setting and decision making regarding chemicals,

  • Assigned responsibilities and resources for chemical risk management tasks,

  • Chemical inventory,

  • A system to monitor compliance with chemical requirements.

It covers:

  • purchasing and supplier communication, 
  • storage and safety issues,
  • occupational health and safety, 
  • environmental and waste issues,
  • product quality and customer communication.

The following preconditions are essential for effective Chemical Risk Management (CRM):

  • Ensure that your company complies with any legal requirements on chemicals, as this a must for any economic operator,

  • A chemical inventory to monitor which chemicals you purchase and the purposes for which you use them, 

  • Trained staff to implement the legal information requirements regarding (hazardous) chemicals that you provide and to assess potential risks arising from them, or alternatively outsource this task to a competent service provider.

  • Analyse your performance in CRM to identify options for improvement, opportunities for synergies and saving resources, and identify your policy priorities.

These elements are not just important; they are fundamental. Without them, CRM can neither be effectively implemented nor sustained.

In light of the above, company management can define or refine an overall chemical policy, which is the framework within which specific chemical-related goals can be defined. 

These goals may relate to the safety of the:  

  • Product, 
  • Workers,
  • Consumers, and the  
  • Environment.