Groso Amela, Petri-Fink Alke, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara, Hofmann Heinrich, Meyer Thierry
Occupational Safety and Health, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytéchnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Group of Chemical and Physical Safety, Ecole Polytéchnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
J Nanobiotechnology. 2016 Mar 15;14:21. doi: 10.1186/s12951-016-0169-x.
It is still unknown which types of nanomaterials and associated doses represent an actual danger to humans and environment. Meanwhile, there is consensus on applying the precautionary principle to these novel materials until more information is available. To deal with the rapid evolution of research, including the fast turnover of collaborators, a user-friendly and easy-to-apply risk assessment tool offering adequate preventive and protective measures has to be provided.
Based on new information concerning the hazards of engineered nanomaterials, we improved a previously developed risk assessment tool by following a simple scheme to gain in efficiency. In the first step, using a logical decision tree, one of the three hazard levels, from H1 to H3, is assigned to the nanomaterial. Using a combination of decision trees and matrices, the second step links the hazard with the emission and exposure potential to assign one of the three nanorisk levels (Nano 3 highest risk; Nano 1 lowest risk) to the activity. These operations are repeated at each process step, leading to the laboratory classification. The third step provides detailed preventive and protective measures for the determined level of nanorisk.
We developed an adapted simple and intuitive method for nanomaterial risk management in research laboratories. It allows classifying the nanoactivities into three levels, additionally proposing concrete preventive and protective measures and associated actions. This method is a valuable tool for all the participants in nanomaterial safety. The users experience an essential learning opportunity and increase their safety awareness. Laboratory managers have a reliable tool to obtain an overview of the operations involving nanomaterials in their laboratories; this is essential, as they are responsible for the employee safety, but are sometimes unaware of the works performed. Bringing this risk to a three-band scale (like other types of risks such as biological, radiation, chemical, etc.) facilitates the management for occupational health and safety specialists. Institutes and school managers can obtain the necessary information to implement an adequate safety management system. Having an easy-to-use tool enables a dialog between all these partners, whose semantic and priorities in terms of safety are often different.
目前仍不清楚哪些类型的纳米材料及其相关剂量会对人类和环境构成实际威胁。与此同时，在获得更多信息之前，对于将预防原则应用于这些新型材料已达成共识。为应对研究的快速发展，包括合作者的快速更替，必须提供一种用户友好且易于应用的风险评估工具，并提供适当的预防和保护措施。
基于有关工程纳米材料危害的新信息，我们遵循一个简单的方案改进了先前开发的风险评估工具，以提高效率。第一步，使用逻辑决策树，将从H1到H3的三个危害级别之一分配给纳米材料。第二步，通过结合决策树和矩阵，将危害与排放和暴露潜力联系起来，为活动分配三个纳米风险级别之一（纳米3为最高风险；纳米1为最低风险）。在每个工艺步骤重复这些操作，得出实验室分类结果。第三步为确定的纳米风险级别提供详细的预防和保护措施。
我们开发了一种适用于研究实验室纳米材料风险管理的简单直观方法。它可以将纳米活动分为三个级别，还提出了具体的预防和保护措施以及相关行动。该方法是纳米材料安全所有参与者的宝贵工具。用户获得了重要的学习机会并提高了他们的安全意识。实验室管理人员有了一个可靠的工具来全面了解其实验室中涉及纳米材料的操作；这至关重要，因为他们负责员工安全，但有时并不了解所进行的工作。将这种风险划分为三个等级（类似于生物、辐射、化学等其他类型的风险）便于职业健康与安全专家进行管理。机构和学校管理人员可以获取必要信息以实施适当的安全管理系统。拥有一个易于使用的工具能够使所有这些合作伙伴进行对话，而他们在安全方面的语义和优先级往往不同。
