Chapter 12: Resources Available and Needed for Chemicals Management
12.1 Resources Available in Government Ministries/Institutions
China is a large country with a vast stretch of territory and a large population. The chemical industry is one of the country¨s basic industries, holding an important position in the national economy. There is a great variety and large quantity of chemicals in China, which leads the world in the production and consumption of some types of chemicals. As the composition of some chemicals is detrimental to the environment and human health, scientific management of them is required. This involves a number of departments and branches of learning. These departments include environmental protection, health, labor, trade, the petroleum and chemicals industries, communications/transport, administration of industry and commerce, public security, technical supervision and customs. The departments of environmental protection, health, agriculture and the petroleum and chemical industries are the major government departments in charge of the management of chemicals. Some institutions which are affiliated to these departments are also engaged in chemicals management. There is a division of labor between these departments and institutions, but they also cooperate with each other. China¨s administrative system is divided into central and local levels, i.e. the ministries and commissions at the central level, and provincial, municipal, prefectural and county administrations at the local level.
Along with the nation¨s constant social progress and economic development, the State has promulgated many laws and regulations concerning the management of chemicals, and the management system is being constantly improved. The State has invested a huge sum in cultivating specialists and managerial personnel, boosting the manpower of administrative institutions at all levels. The professional staff involved specialize in environmental protection, chemistry, health, pesticides and medicine. Unfortunately, there are no statistics on the exact input and possession of financial resources in chemical management. Table 12.1 provides an estimate of resources available to government ministries/institutions.
12.2 Resources Needed by Government Institutions to Fulfill Responsibilities Related to Chemicals Management
Government institutions need various types of professional skills, especially specialists in environmental protection, health and chemistry who have higher-education backgrounds and sound working experience. There are quite a number of such professional involved in chemicals management, but the number so far is insufficient and cannot meet the demand for national development. In addition, the existing professional staff need further training to improve their management skills and update their knowledge. Priority should be given to strengthening training in risk assessment and control, emergency responses, chemical analysis, toxicology and legal knowledge. Table 12.2 shows an estimate of resources needed by government institutions to fulfill their responsibilities related to chemicals management.Table 12.1 Resources Available in Government Ministries/Institutions
|
Ministry/ agency concerned |
Number of professional staff involved |
Type of expertise available |
Financial resources available (per year) |
|
Environment protection |
1,000 |
Chemicals management, ecological toxicology, chemical analysis, supervision, environmental engineering, biology |
|
|
Health |
1,500 |
Chemicals management, toxicology, pharmacology, pharmacy, hygienics, chemical analysis, supervision, environmental engineering, biology |
|
|
Agriculture |
500 |
Pesticides, ecology, chemical analysis, plant protection, management of pesticides |
|
|
Economy and Trade |
1000 |
Chemical management, assay, safety, and occupational health |
|
|
Petro-chemical industry |
5000 |
Chemicals production, processing and research and development, safety and health, chemical analysis, supervision |
|
|
Communica-tions |
100 |
Chemicals safety, chemical analysis |
|
|
Railway |
60 |
Chemicals safety, chemical analysis |
|
|
Civil aviation |
40 |
Chemicals safety, chemical analysis |
|
|
Public security |
200 |
Chemicals safety, chemical analysis, management of highly toxic substances |
|
|
Customs |
100 |
Chemicals safety, chemicals management |
|
|
Industry/ commerce |
100 |
Chemicals safety, chemicals management chemical analysis, supervision |
|
|
Quality and technical supervision |
500 |
Chemicals safety, chemicals management, chemical analysis, supervision |
Table 12.2 Resources Needed by Government Institutions to Fulfill Responsibilities Related to Chemicals Management
|
Ministry/agency concerned |
Number/type of professional staff needed |
Training requirements |
|
Environmental protection |
5,000 (chemicals management, ecological toxicology, chemical analysis, supervision, biology) |
Risks assessment and management, risks reduction, improvement of supervisory capability, accident response, chemical analysis, control of chemicals pollution, ecological toxicology, laws |
|
Health |
1,500 (chemicals management, toxicology, hygienics, chemical analysis, supervision, biology) |
Risks assessment and management, risks reduction, improvement of supervisory capability, poisoning control, chemical analysis, poisoning management, toxicology, environmental epidemiology, laws |
|
Agriculture |
1,000 (ecological environment, plant protection, management of pesticides, pesticide residue, pesticide poisoning, chemical analysis) |
Risks assessment and management, risks reduction, pesticide poisoning, plant protection, chemical analysis, management of pesticides, laws |
|
Labor |
1,000 (labor safety, supervision and management, chemical analysis) |
Labor safety, supervision and management, analytical chemical |
|
Trade |
1,000 (chemicals safety, chemical analysis) |
Storage safety, chemical analysis |
|
Petro-chemical industry |
1,000 (chemicals safety, production management, chemical analysis) |
Production safety, chemicals safety, chemical analysis, workers¨ health protection, prevention against poisoning |
|
Communications |
1,000 (transportation safety, chemical analysis) |
Transportation safety, dangerous goods, chemical analysis, management of transportation |
|
Railway |
1,000 (transportation safety, chemical analysis) |
Transportation safety, dangerous goods, chemical analysis, management of transportation |
|
Civil aviation |
1,00 (transportation safety, chemical analysis) |
Transportation safety, dangerous goods, chemical analysis, management of transportation |
|
Public security |
1,000 (chemicals safety, chemical analysis) |
Management of combustible and explosive substances, management of highly toxic substances |
|
Industry/ commerce |
1,000 (chemicals management, chemical analysis) |
chemicals management, chemical analysis |
|
Technical supervision |
1,000 (supervision and management, chemical analysis) |
supervision and management, chemical analysis |