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Risk assessment
Achieving safe production and use of chemicals by 2020 is a key
objective of the 6th Community Environment Action Programme, aiming to
guarantee there will be no impact for people coming into contact with
these substances.
 In
order to have a better perspective on the substances used across the
industry, an expert group was set up under the denomination “BRAG”
(ETRMA Risk Assessment Working Group). Their mission is to provide
expert advice and to undertake the necessary technical work to address
existing and future risk assessments relevant to the rubber industry.
Analysis of health and environmental impacts of substances such as
resorcinol, toluene and zinc in the rubber compounding process and in
use, has already started jointly with the producers.
The activity of the risk assessment on zinc oxide has been
particularly intense since its beginning and has led to a constructive
co-operation with zinc oxide producers. Moreover the developments of
this dossier may lead to amend the Technical Guidance Document, which
sets the rules of any risk assessment procedure, in adding
complementary information on road border scenario.
Additional substances may come under risk assessment in the year to
come. In the meantime, ETRMA will have increased its experience and
will be able to better control the impact of substances used in the
rubber manufacturing process.
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