How to assess the adequacy of safety measures for manufactured nanoparticles

Project Information

Principal Investigator	Michael Riediker
Institution	Head of Research group "Particles and Health", Institute for Work and Health, (Institut universitaire romand de Santé au Travail), Université Lausanne + Université Genève, Switzerland
Project URL	View
Relevance to Implications	High
Class of Nanomaterial	Engineered Nanomaterials
Impact Sector	Human Health
Broad Research Categories	Safety Control Risk Management
NNI identifier

Funding Information

Country	Switzerland
Anticipated Total Funding	n/a
Annual Funding	n/a
Funding Source	Financed by the participating institutes
Funding Mechanism
Funding Sector
Start Year	2006
Anticipated End Year	2010

Abstract/Summary

The objective is to identify work processes that involve manufactured nanoparticles, to categorize the health risks associated with these processes with regard to particle type and quantity used, to describe existing and new safety measures, and to develop guidelines for the assessment of safety measures used in production, application, use and disposal of nanoparticles and nanoparticle containing products. The target group and beneficiaries are all bodies dealing with occupational health risks related to nanoparticles (governments, insurances, industries). The project responds to the potential health risk workers face when they are exposed to novel insufficiently characterized substances. Current knowledge about types, frequencies and levels of nanoparticle exposures is very limited. Also many questions regarding the efficiency of current protective measures that were developed for larger particles are unanswered. This project aims at gathering information about exposures, health risks and existing and new safety measures, which will be used to develop a guide to safety and health experts. This guide will help them assess the adequacy of safety measures for manufactured nanoparticles.