How To Manage Chemicals In Tanzania

Transcription

1 AAPAM AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT COMPETITION 1.0 NAME AND ADDRESS OF ORGANIZATION 1. Name of the organisation: Government Chemist Laboratory Agency 2. Postal address: P.O. Box Physical address: Ocean Road/Luthuli Street, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Phone: /4 6. Fax: NAME OF PROJECT: MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF CHEMICALS 3.0 DETAILS OF THE CONTACT PERSON 1. Name of Contact Person: Ernest N.M.Mashimba (PhD) 2. Title: Chief Government Chemist 3. Postal address: P.O. Box Physical address: Ocean Road/Luthuli Street, Dar es Salaam Tanzania 5. Phone: /4 6. Fax: Mobile: NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE ORGANISATION Number of employees at the Government Chemist Laboratory Agency is 105 1

2 5.0 MANAGERIAL INNOVATION (MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF CHEMICALS IN TANZANIA) 5.1 Background of the Project In Tanzania, like in many other countries chemicals usage plays a significant role in daily life. However, it is a known fact that the indiscriminate use of chemicals does result in adverse effects to health and the environment, though in many cases it may be difficult to directly relate the cause and effects. In view of the above, Tanzania came out with the development of the National Profile (NP) to Assess Infrastructure for Management of Chemicals in Tanzania, between the years 1996 and The profile assessment; among others concluded that: Tanzania imports and uses a substantial amount of chemicals especially agrochemicals, industrial and consumer chemicals; The threat of adverse effects of chemical exposure to human health and environment is real; Ignorance of most of the people handling chemicals and generally low level of awareness to chemical hazards, are the main contributing factors to health risks or to environmental problems related to chemicals; Weak mechanism for crosscutting coo-ordination at national level and international level, both in practice and procedures; and Chemical began to be misused in Tanzania e.g. used as weapons, illicit drugs and illegal cosmetics. Tanzania held a Priority Setting Workshop, in which priority areas in chemicals management were identified and a framework was developed for a National Action Plan (NAP) in One of the priority areas was strengthening the legal framework for chemicals management, including in particular the category of industrial and consumer chemicals, which were used in households, learning and research institutions and workplaces for which no comprehensive legislation was in place. Problems that were experienced in the absence of the legislation include the following: Importation of chemicals, which are highly hazardous and have been banned or severely restricted in some countries for protection of human health and the environment e.g. PolyChloroByphenyl (PCBs); Easy access to highly hazardous chemicals, which led to mishandling and misuse; 2

3 Employees involved in chemicals handling not being provided with adequate information, training and appropriate protective gears for safety; and Mismanagement of chemical accidents/spills. 5.2 The purpose and objective of the project The objective of the project was to control and manage chemicals throughout the various stages, which constitute the normal life-cycle i.e. cradle to grave of a chemical in order to minimize potential risks to human health and the environment. 5.3 Project Innovation The establishment of legislation for the control and Management of Industrial and Consumer Chemicals is an innovative in the following aspects: It has established a system that is unique in Africa, which may be found in only one or two other countries, Whereby Chemicals imported and used are progressively assessed in a multi stakeholder system. The assessment involves the following: - 1. Demand for and provision of documents from the manufacturers and the suppliers, providing detailed information on the chemical, including potential hazards to health and the environment with the necessary precautionary measures in cases of emergencies; 2. Inspection of the premises and ascertaining of the qualifications of those who supervise chemicals related activities, to ensure chemical safety. 3. Assessment of the documentation and conducting a form of risk assessment of each chemical based on the documentation and inspection reports. The project has managed to promote awareness in chemicals management and control for safeguard human health and the environment and through their information the Agency managed to discover illegal disposal of chemical waste. Moreover the Industrial and Consumer chemicals (Management and control) Act No: 3 of 2003 was an introduction of new and useful process of managing chemicals to our nation and also comply with the International Agreements on chemicals ratified by our Country. 3

4 Though the innovation was not a technological creation of a new product, it was a breakthrough in improving the management processes of chemicals, which present both known and unknown risks. The successful implementation of these creative ideas resulted in the enactment of the Industrial and Consumer Chemicals (Management and Control) Act No 3 of Approach of the project formulation In the wake of problem associated to chemicals management issues and in the absence of infrastructure for monitoring and follow-up of chemicals in Tanzania, GCLA and other stakeholders proposed the action to be taken for safeguarding the society and the environment. The successful implementation of the planed NAP resulted in the enactments of the Industrial and Consumer chemicals (Management and Control) Act No. 3 of 2003, which came into force in July Achievements The most significant achievement of the management and control of chemicals is the enactment of Industrial and consumer chemicals (Management and Control) Act No 3 of 2003 in Tanzania mainland. The implementation of the Act aims at protecting health and environment from the adverse effect of chemicals. Since its enactment, the following have been achieved with regards to management of chemicals Information System The Agency and the country as a whole has now an established information system in respect of importation of chemicals and as such can identify chemicals which have been restricted and banned in other countries especially for reasons of health and the environment, before they arrive in the country Emergency Response Committee There is an emergency response committee, which is charged with the responsibility of overseeing all issues related to chemicals emergencies in the country. Their quick response rescues the society and the environment in general from adverse effect of chemicals Stakeholders participation Stakeholders participation in management and control of chemicals has been strengthened and this has proved successful. Stakeholders are now 4

5 involved in planning, monitoring, and evaluation of the implementation of activities concerning chemical management. The participation is through technical committees, workshops, seminars and implementation of chemical programme Training of chemicals Inspectors, Journalists and customs officials Twenty chemicals inspectors were trained on registration and inspection of chemicals and 25 journalists/ reporters were trained and are expected to help in disseminating the information to the public. Similarly 31 Customs officers and 25 health officers were trained on industrial and consumers chemicals Act No.3 of 2003 and its Regulations, this will ensure smooth handling of importation procedures of chemicals that minimises exposure risks Harmonized Codes Preparation and implementation of Harmonized Codes which TISCAN / TRA uses in day-to-day operations to verify consignments containing chemicals at entry points has lead to control of importation / exportation of chemicals in maniland Tanzania Gazetting of Chemicals inspectors 32 chemicals inspectors have already been gazetted in a Government Gazette GN.95 of April 8, This gives them a legal mandate for inspection activities Awareness Campaigns The society is now aware of Chemicals Management and understands the risks and hazardous nature of chemicals and their adverse effects to human health and environment. This was achieved through education campaign conducted countrywide to the society through mass media. There is a high political will after the training of decision makers, preparation of National plan for chemicals and Prior Informed Concert (PIC) chemicals. Through the project, the Government of Tanzania has managed to promote and safeguard human health and the environment and managed to discover illegal disposal of chemical waste Inspection, Registration and Control of Importation From July 2003 the date of establishment of this Act up to December 2006, 500 chemicals dealers have applied for registration under the category of chemicals dealer as per the Industrial and Consumer Chemicals. The importation of chemicals is through permit issued by the 5

6 registrar (The Chief Government Chemist) after assessment and satisfied with the chemicals to be imported. 5.7 Future outlook In the implementation of the Industrial and Consumer Chemicals Act No. 3 of 2003, the agency intends to: - a. Deal with excessive chemicals waste production and discharging into the ecosystems, which is unable to cope with the current chemical waste treatment technologies available in the country; b. Enhance compliance of majority of chemical dealers to Industrial and Consumer Chemicals (Management and Control) Act. Na 3 of 2003; c. Establish a comprehensive inventory of obsolete Industrial chemicals in the country; d. Existence of several overlapping legal instrument to manage various aspect of chemicals and environmental; e. Strengthen appropriate infrastructure for adequate chemical disposal; and f. Strengthen education, information and the communication packages on chemicals to users, inadequate capacity to effectively monitor the use of chemicals. 5.8 Collaboration with other Institutions The agency executes two collaborative activities, which are the Swedish Chemicals Agency (Kemi) and Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Managements (SAICAM) projects in the management and control of chemicals. Thirty (30) chemical inspectors were trained in inspection and registration skills through GCLA KEMI (Swedish chemicals agency) collaborative. GCLA is the focal point for SAICM, Rotterdam convention and other conventions in chemicals management. 6.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT In Tanzania, like in many other countries chemicals usage makes a big part of human life cycle. More than ninety percent of the economic activities in the country involve the use of chemicals. However, the infrastructure for transporting, handling, storing, formulating, applying and disposing of chemicals is not adequate; the threat of adverse effects of chemical exposure of human health and environment is real. 6

7 Tanzania as a member of the global community has obligations to promote and enforce sound management of chemicals as articulated in the principles of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and Agenda 21, Chapter 19 which addresses the issue of environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation 2005, in particular paragraph 23 and in many International Multi-lateral Agreements such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, Bamako convention, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Montreal Protocol on ozone depleting substances, the International Labour Organization Conventions No. 170 on Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work and No. 174 on the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents, the Bahia Declaration on Chemical Safety, to mention a few. Tanzania participated in UNCED held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and is a signatory to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) goal of ensuring that by 2020, chemicals are used and produced in ways that minimize their harmful impacts on human health and the environment. To meet this objective, Tanzania needs to have sufficient capacity in chemicals management. The management and control of chemicals project that resulted in enactment of the industrial and consumer chemicals legislation has the prime objective of protecting health and the environment from adverse effects of industrial and consumer chemicals, and as such the project is in line with WSSD objective. 7.0 SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT Full name: Mashimba, Ernest N.M (Ph D) CHIEF GOVERNMENT CHEMIST 8.0 Date 21 st FEBRUARY