A flexible framework for addressing chemical accident prevention and preparedness: a guidance document
This guidance aims to support any government that wants to develop, improve, or review their programme for chemical accident prevention and preparedness related to hazardous installations. It focuses on prevention and preparedness at fixed installations and is designed to help countries establish a programme that is appropriate for their particular circumstances, including the level and nature of risks, the available resources, and the legal and cultural context.
This guidance provides examples of how existing laws and international agreements address various aspects of a chemical accidents programme. It also contains information on other materials and resources that are available to support a country’s effort. This guidance recognises that it can be difficult to get the attention for this issue until a major accident occurs and that there are many issues competing for limited resources. But the potential consequences of inaction are very severe, and the benefits for implementing a programme are clear. These benefits include not only the damage avoided from preventing or mitigating accidents but also from the indirect financial savings due, for example, from improved efficiency and lower production costs, improvements in general environmental performance, and increased goodwill and community support.
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