Environmental Risk Communication through Qualitative Risk Assessment

Sabre Coleman,David Zalk

doi:10.3390/toxics2020346

Abstract

Environmental analysts are often hampered in communicating the risks of environmental contaminants due to the myriad of regulatory requirements that are applicable. The use of a qualitative, risk-based control banding strategy for assessment and control of potential environmental contaminants provides a standardized approach to improve risk communication. Presented is a model that provides an effective means for determining standardized responses and controls for common environmental issues based on the level of risk. The model is designed for integration within an occupational health and safety management system to provide a multidisciplinary environmental and occupational risk management approach. This environmental model, which utilizes multidisciplinary control banding strategies for delineating risk, complements the existing Risk Level Based Management System, a proven method in a highly regulated facility for occupational health and safety. A simplified environmental risk matrix is presented that is stratified over four risk levels. Examples of qualitative environmental control banding strategies are presented as they apply to United States regulations for construction, research activities, facility maintenance, and spill remediation that affect air, water, soil, and waste disposal. This approach offers a standardized risk communication language for multidisciplinary issues that will improve communications within and between environmental health and safety professionals, workers, and management.

Highlights

The Environmental Analyst (EA), who is responsible for ensuring that facilities comply with environmental regulations for air, water, wastewater, hazardous materials and hazardous waste by providing guidance and support to the facility’s staff, is often hampered in communicating the risks of the effects of substances on the environment due to the myriad of regulatory requirements
The environmental Control banding (CB) methods described above have been applied at Lawrence LivermoreNational Laboratory (LLNL) in various areas to determine the utility of an environmental risk matrix
It is not expected to be a fit for every scenario, but it is expected to provide a cost-effective approach in communicating environmental risk. This approach offers a standardized risk communication language for the environmental profession, which is complementary to that which is already in use for occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). It will be part of a standardized risk communication language for each of the ES&H disciplines that will increase the extent of discussions that can be had within and between material and waste handlers, ES&H

Summary

Introduction

The Environmental Analyst (EA), who is responsible for ensuring that facilities comply with environmental regulations for air, water, wastewater, hazardous materials and hazardous waste by providing guidance and support to the facility’s staff, is often hampered in communicating the risks of the effects of substances on the environment due to the myriad of regulatory requirements. Administration’s research and development (R&D) laboratories, the variety of activities that occur on the one square mile main site and an approximately 17 square mile remote site provides an opportunity to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of novel approaches for environmental compliance communication. LLNL has an Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) directorate that provides comprehensive support directly to its workforce through its two ES&H teams that offer the services of industrial safety, industrial hygiene, radiation protection and environmental professionals and technicians working together in a multidisciplinary format. Each of the ES&H disciplines has a working group that develops procedures, protocols, and regulatory documentation necessary to ensure compliance

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion