Managing chemical risks, hazard control and Nigeria’s economy

Sunny Nwachukwu (Loyal Sigmite), PhD, a pure and applied chemist with an MBA in management, is an Onitsha based industrialist, a fellow of ICCON, and vice president, finance, Onitsha Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached on  +234 803 318 2105 (text only) or schubltd@yahoo.com

No economy can reasonably survive, experience real economic growth, or achieve visible success, if proper regulatory measures are not constituted and put in place to check the excesses of unlawful handlings and the misuse of dangerous materials that pose potential risks to society. The impact of any eventuality associated with such risks could be environmental; it could also have a social dimension, and it could have consequences that are economical.

In society, encounters with all kinds of materials occur on a daily basis, in man’s efforts to eke a living (means of livelihood). It is applicable both in industrial activities (at work places) and also for individual purposes. It is of a necessity that a sustainable life is conscientiously sought and maintained through human economic efforts for man’s existence. This is carried on through man’s callings in diverse vocations in all the existing sectors in the socioeconomic system. This therefore calls for social order and rules to guide all activities in a contemporary society, that always put under check and control, any anti-social activity or lawlessness that could otherwise harm life. Any contrary conduct therefore amounts to committing a state crime or an actionable misconduct under the law of the land, whenever such rules or laws are violated. Such violations at law could be interpreted as either a “civil matter” or a “criminal case”.

The chemicals that exist in the world are numerous, and they are scientifically classified according to their chemical characteristics, physical states, functional groups, applications and usages, or their effects during reactions and impacts thereafter. Under industrial applications and general purpose uses of certain chemicals, their legitimate utility is first considered. It is on that premise that governmental regulatory controls are applied and are useful in making sure that the right things are done in the proper ways and modes. That, of course, is vital especially if such materials have devastating tendencies if wrongly applied or handled (both in storage and in usage). This particularly derives from the fact that certain chemicals are dangerous and injurious to life.

Some chemicals that fall within such a category are therefore classified as harmful, toxic, explosive, inflammable or hazardous chemicals; based on their characteristic risk impact on man and the environment (human health and environmental health). Virtually all the chemicals that fall under the above mentioned groupings are primarily destructive in one way or the other, if wrongly handled or managed, hence the need to constantly micro manage their effects and tendencies professionally, just to avoid the havoc that may occur (that could even go to the extent of claiming human life), if handled unprofessionally (that is, without being mindful of their characteristics).

At the same time, however, there are in existence certain chemicals that are benign; and these come up in the discussion of “Green Chemistry”, which pertains to situations where harmless chemicals are fully noticeable in some applications (unlike the deadly and dangerous ones). Such discussion of sustainable chemistry (Green) involves the design, manufacture and use of efficient, effective, safe and reasonably environmentally friendly benign/safe chemical processes and products. This sustainable chemistry applies a strategy of Best Available Technique (BAT) policies to mitigate industrial pollution. The strategy actually focuses on transitioning to safer and less toxic alternatives, which is guided by key considerations that identify and select safer alternatives (both in substances and the processes or techniques to be applied in the course of a reaction). This is based on the growing demand for safer chemicals and technologies (although it presently has some limitations of consistent criteria to define the said alternatives). The BAT concept can therefore be used to control and prevent industrial emissions (for instance, in fighting global warming and Climate Change). This is a target that the government can also achieve if chemical professionals are legitimately and constitutionally engaged to assist in policy formulation, implementation and in the practice.

The main thrust in chemical risk management, therefore, aligns with the international classification of hazardous chemicals, by dividing chemical substances and mixtures into different categories, based on their physical properties and health implications, as well as environmental hazards (done with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD standards). This chemical risk management actually supports socioeconomic analysis by allowing a better quantification and monetization of health and environmental impacts (under its costs and benefits). On chemicals that fall under classifications such as harmful, toxic, explosive, inflammable or hazardous, more attention is needed to monitor their uses and their environmental and health impacts hence, their strict management and control.

It is therefore imperative that the government should henceforth (as a matter of urgency) safeguard lives and property, by fully employing the services of professionally trained Chemists to control and manage the inflows and outflows of all chemicals in the economy. This needs to be done under an independently established government agency (National Chemicals Management Agency, NCMA) to oversee the regulation of chemicals in its entirety in the country. This agency, if actualised, will minimise industrial risks that result from wrong handling of chemicals. It can also put the economy on its right growth pedestal and aid the achievement of the aspired national economic efficiency, void of chemical risks that hamper accelerated economic growth that mostly occur through explosions and fires.