A new framework standardises chemical hazard data into simple metrics to help companies monitor safety across their supply chains. The industry-led initiative is designed to make it easier to understand whether replacing one chemical with another is ‘safer’ and to phase out more hazardous chemicals.
In 2023, the UN released its voluntary Global Framework on Chemicals, which aims to minimise the negative impact of chemicals on the environment and human health. The initiative mandates that reliable information on the chemicals used in materials and products is publicly available. However, unlike existing systems to measure, track and reduce carbon emissions, there are currently few ways to do the same for chemical safety.
The new framework developed by the Safer Chemistry Impact Fund (SCI Fund) – an initiative supported by industries, governments and non-profit organisations – is designed to tackle that problem. Rather than relying solely on safety data sheets that are often out-dated, inconsistent or incorrect, the framework advocates for using standardised chemical hazard assessments that are broader in scope and conducted by an independent assessor. The SCI Fund says that this will make chemical safety reports more consistent.
Equally, the framework encourages classifying chemicals using colour-coded hazard bands – produced by the non-profit ChemForward – to make comparing the risks of chemicals clearer. This could help companies identify chemicals in supply chains that have limited hazard data and benchmark progress as they switch to more benign chemicals.
‘Organisations can’t solve a problem they can’t measure,’ says SCI Fund chairperson Bill Walsh. ‘The goal is to create a shared foundation that industries can build on together,’ he adds. ‘Better measurement leads to better decisions, and better decisions help accelerate the transition to safer chemistry.’
