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WHO
Collaborative Programme
Chemical
Safety
Back
Situation Analysis:
Many activities are being carried out by different agencies, without much coordination. Lebanon has yet to develop many activities, which are necessary for the safe management of chemicals. While few activities were devised under this programme for the biennium 2000-2001 in the area of chemical safety, none of these was implemented.
Chemical Safety is suffering, as other environmental issues, from severe problems: inappropriate qualified personnel throughout the public sector, inefficiency, low salaries, understaffing, overlapping and unclear responsibilities. The Ministry of Environment, MOH and Ministry of Labor as well as Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Agriculture are responsible of chemical safety without clear-cut responsibilities.
It is essential that the existing and required national capabilities and capacities for safe, cost beneficial management of chemicals be planned. The appropriate tool for achieving this purpose is a National Chemical Safety Profile.
Laboratories of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Agriculture carry out environmental monitoring of pesticidal residues. There is a system for registration of pesticides. The pesticides committee has issued a list of banned pesticides.
A functional Poison Information and Control Center is urgently needed in the country.
During 1998-1999, a WHO consultant prepared a situation analysis on chemical safety problem in the country and recommended a plan of action, which is deemed to be still valid.
Recommended areas for priority action are the following:
- Improve coordination mechanism
- Prepare the national chemical safety profile
- Improve public awareness in the field of household chemicals, particularly pesticides
- Establish a functional Poison Information and Control Center
Objectives:
Strengthening of national capabilities and capacities for safe management of chemicals; development of national chemical safety programme; establishment and strengthening of risk reduction Programmes; emergency preparedness and response; information exchange on toxic chemicals and chemical risks; harmonization of classification and labeling of chemicals; and risk assessment of chemicals.
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