GUIDELINES ON THE PREVENTION OF TOXIC …

1 GUIDELINE ON THE PREVENTION OF TOXIC EXPOSURES Education and public awareness activitiesWHOP ublished by the world health organization in collaboration withthe United Nations Environment Programme andthe International Labour OrganizationGUIDELINES ONTHE PREVENTION OFTOXIC EXPOSURESE ducation and publicawareness activitiesINTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMEON CHEMICAL SAFETYUNEPA large number of people are injured or die each yearas a result of exposure to both manufactured chemicals andnatural toxins. Most poisoning cases result from lack ofknowledge about risks and from , misuse of chemicals frequently leadsto damage of the environment.

2 This is avoidablethrough education and programmes for PREVENTION of poisoningsare crucial to reduce the number of poisonings in thehome or at work, to detect and eliminate unusuallyhazardous commercial products and to limit theoveruse of emergency GUIDELINES will help governments, nationalagencies and communities to plan, carry out and evaluateeducation campaigns addressed at the public as well asother activities to promote safe use of chemicals andprevention of poisoning. They summarize the active andpassive strategies that can be used to promote chemicalsafety, outline the planning process and describehow to communicate safety and poisonsprevention messages is the best 92 4 156611 5 INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETYG uidelines on the PREVENTION of TOXIC exposuresEducation and public awareness activitiesINTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATIONUNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMMEWORLD health organization world health organization 2004 All rights reserved.

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4 Or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers products does not imply that they are endorsedor recommended by the world health organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial world health organization does not warrant that the information contained in this publication is completeand correct and shall not be liable for any damages incurred as a result of its in New ZealandTypeset in Hong KongPrinted in FranceWHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataInternational Programme on Chemical on the PREVENTION of TOXIC exposures.

5 Education and public awareness activities / International Programme on Chemical substances PREVENTION and exposure PREVENTION and 92 4 154611 5(LC/NLM Classification: QZ 59)AcknowledgementsixPrefacexiExecutive summaryxiiiSECTION I11. Activities developed by the International Regulatory measures52. What is PREVENTION ? Definition and purpose of PREVENTION and Types of Benefits of Barriers to Education to prevent TOXIC Education aimed at individuals or Education aiming at social and environmental Education of Other mechanisms for PREVENTION of TOXIC Risk communication/alerts about chemical Labelling11 How effective is labelling at controlling poisoning?

6 Technology and Operational Monitoring people and the Legislation and regulation for PREVENTION of TOXIC Legislation and chemical How can legislation be used to control poisoning? How effective are legislation and regulation in preventing poisoning? Legislation and Product Notification International conventions and recommendations203. Planning educational Understanding poisons PREVENTION needs of the Analysing and evaluating the Obtaining information about occurrence of TOXIC exposures23 Hospital records24 Ambulatory services records25 Analytical services25 Poisons centres25 Mortality statistics26 Community surveys26 Government Obtaining information about the target Programme planning and Defining aims and objectives.

7 Identifying resources that will be needed29 Human resources29 Material resources29 Financial resources30 Facilities and Training Finding financial resources31 Government agencies31 United Nations organizations31 Nongovernmental organizations32 health agencies32 Private324. Planning how to communicate the Face-to-face With groups34 Oral presentations and lectures34 Workshops35 Discussion One-to-one Telephone information Popular Mass Television and Newspapers and Printed Content and Distribution40ivGUIDELINES ON THE PREVENTION OF TOXIC Displays and Child-centred events415.

8 Who does PREVENTION ? Role of poisons Partners in PREVENTION Initiators vs. Organizers and Agents and agencies that are potential initiators and partners446. Why do an evaluation? Planning Factors influencing the selection of an evaluation Barriers to conducting Methods for Impact evaluation50 Indicators50 Methods for evaluating Process evaluation54 SECTION II57 Poisons PREVENTION in different environmentsPrevention of TOXIC substance exposure in the home environment591 Programme Addressing PREVENTION in the Identifying who will be Defining the programme: what substances are included, who is exposed, and how it is going to be Identifying available resources and sources of Raising programme awareness in the community612 Risk Identifying which agents are involved in unintentional Investigating risk factors and understanding their influence on unintentional The The The Circumstances of exposure633 exposure Containers and Removal or modification of the Labelling Storage and handling Changing social, psychological and economic factors644 Education and Individual counselling and group Literature.

9 Posters and exhibition Mass media Providing information on the Training community workers and health workers665 Evaluating and monitoring PREVENTION efforts666 Preparing for emergencies in the home66 PREVENTION of TOXIC substance exposure in the workplace671 Programme Developing a Planning PREVENTION and defining Defining the scope of the Raising awareness682 Risk Preparing an inventory of TOXIC Determining risk683 exposure Storage and Choosing TOXIC substance suppliers and disposers694 Training and education695 Emergency preparedness and response706 Medical surveillance707 Hazardous non-routine External contractors and consultants708 TOXIC substance and waste disposal procedures71 PREVENTION of TOXIC substance exposure in the rural environment721 Programme Developing a Committing to Defining the scope of the Raising awareness722 Risk Collecting inventory data733 exposure Labelling Storage and handling guidelines744 Training and education745 Responding to emergency situations746 Medical surveillance757 TOXIC substance and waste disposal procedures75viGUIDELINES ON THE PREVENTION OF TOXIC EXPOSURESA nnex 1.

10 Examples of PREVENTION activities of different partners in prevention761 PREVENTION programmes in poisons centres in various New USA822 PREVENTION programmes organized by governmental agencies83 Canada: the Product Safety Bureau of the health Department833 PREVENTION programmes led by nongovernmental bodies84 The Netherlands: Consumer Safety Unit844 PREVENTION programmes led by international organizations84 Annex 2: Examples of PREVENTION activities targeted at specific types of poisoning861 PREVENTION of carbon monoxide poisoning in northern Who is involved in CO PREVENTION ? Identifying high-risk Identifying high-risk situations for primary exposure Training and Monitoring PREVENTION Emergencies in the Incident-reporting system902 PREVENTION of kerosene ingestion in South How the problem was What was done to solve the problem913 PREVENTION of pesticide The Pesticide poisoning PREVENTION activities in Pesticide poisoning PREVENTION activities in South Africa934 PREVENTION of snake bites in south-east The message935 PREVENTION of scorpion stings in northern Africa946 PREVENTION of plant poisoning in south-east The Measures that can be taken to avoid