Chemical Safety and Security Challenges in Academic Institutions in Developing Countries

Abstract

Risk reduction of hazardous chemicals can be achieved by both the best practices for chemical handling and chemistry processes and preventing the illegal or inappropriate use of chemicals. This means safety and security vulnerability assessment should be applied to the life cycle of chemicals. In developing countries, although the chemical industrial sectors have, to some extent, made good progress towards the development of chemical management systems, academic institutions are still in need of technical and financial support to develop their chemical management systems. Based on the current situation, chemistry laboratories in academic institutions are unsafe environments because most of them lack safety measures. Also, they can be considered a target for terrorist activities; in addition chemical industrial facilities contain not only hazardous chemicals, but also equipment which can be used in chemical diversion. These institutions should include personnel with the responsibility to maintain a safe/secure environment for their administrative structure and provide chemical safety/security courses in their curriculum.