Human Risk Management Service
Risk management is the consequence of risk assessment, which itself is the result of the comparison of the human exposure level with the tolerated dose for a substance in a product. To ensure an acceptable risk, , risk management measures are often necessary.
Protective equipment to manage risks
Good practices include several ways to limit exposure. In addition to information, work organisation and hygiene, protective equipment is also a key element to manage risks to pesticides, biocides, chemicals:
- Collective protective equipment: they can be of different types (specific product container, tractor cabin…) and have a specific or general reduction effect on security and exposure. Considering their use can improve the safety margin.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): they protect individual people and can be considered under professional context in addition to collective protective equipment.
Under some situations, collective protective equipment is enough. Under other less favourable situations, the risk for a substance/product/scenario combination is only acceptable when personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn. According to the concerned population, the requested PPE could not be acceptable, e.g. because it is not comfortable under the situation during which it is required.
If you think a PPE can nevertheless be recommended, it is sometimes useful to develop an argument, eventually supported by a survey. The search of another PPE that could provide a similar protection could also be a way to explore and Isabelle Thouvenin can offer her support to this process.
Requirements related to personal protective equipment (PPE)
Wearing a PPE is of course only one of the aspects of risk management, but this is no the least. Furthermore its supply and the way to deal with its maintenance and/or its destruction are also to consider in the management. The requirements related to the certification of PPE are currently changing rapidly, e.g. for clothes and gloves to wear when re-entering on a treated plot. Some member states (e.g. France) go far enough in the description of the requested PPE according to the potentially concerned populations, especially for pesticides. An opinion, an advice on those recommendations can be proposed by Isabelle Thouvenin.