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Chemical Accident Preventionand Preparedness in Asia

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DisclaimerThe designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, nor does citing of trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement.

Cover photo copyright by BASF. URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/basf/8726112598/in/photostream/

Copyright © 2015 Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. All rights reserved.

The publication has been prepared with United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) support as part of the implementation of UNEP’s Flexible Framework Initiative for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness.

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Introduction

In most developing countries, growth in the industrial sector is being encouraged as a key contribution for economic development. However the use and production of chemicals pose a risk of chemical accidents that can cause severe harm to people, environment and the economy. Most chemical substances are hazardous at some stage during their use, storage, manufacture or transport. These chemicals in their different states (solids, liquids, gases) can be flammable, corrosive, explosive and toxic. Therefore, effective governance on chemical accident prevention and preparedness (CAPP) needs to be addressed, particularly in economies in transition.

Industrial growth in Asia

The continuing industrialization of Asia due to increase in demand resulting from increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, urbanization and growing middle class, has seen the rise of the manufacturing sector. This sector demands huge amounts of specialty chemicals to produce electronics, machinery and a vast assortment of other chemical-related products both for use within Asia and for export. According to the American Chemistry Council, overall chemical production from the Asia-Pacific is expected to increase by 5.2% in 2015. As indicated in Figure 1, the overall chemical production in Asia outpaces other regions of the world. Therefore, safe manufacture, use and disposal of various types of chemicals are a growing concern among local, regional and national governments.

Existing governance on chemical accident prevention and preparedness

In general, the current situation regarding governance on CAPP varies among the different developing countries in the Asian region. Some of them have a separate regulation for management of hazardous substances (China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam), while countries like Malaysia and the Philippines indirectly address it via several legal instruments relating to different stages of a chemical substance’s lifecycle (i.e., import or production, storage, use/handling, transport, disposal/export). In Cambodia, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka, although certain aspects of governance do exist, their respective legislations lack focus towards preventing and preparing for chemical accidents. In the rest of the developing countries in Asia, chemicals are mostly imported rather than being produced and there are a growing number of small- and medium-sized enterprises. These countries are yet to recognize CAPP as one of their national priorities.

Figure 1: World chemical sales in 2013 (in Billions): geographic breakdown (Total value of €3156 Billion), *Rest of Europe, including Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, **North American Free Trade Agreement, ***Asia excluding China, India, Japan and South KoreaSource: Cefic Chemdata International 2014

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Past major accidents in Asia

3 December 1984, Bhopal, IndiaA cloud of methyl isocyanate was released at a pesticide plant due to rapid rise in pressure and temperature, after water entered a storage tank, resulting in the deadliest chemical disaster in history. Poisonous gases escaped from the plant into the surrounding areas and drifted 8 kilometres over the city of Bhopal. The plant was located in a crowded working-class neighborhood, and there was no warning for people surrounding the facility as the plant emergency sirens had been switched off.

Consequences: About 3,000 to 20,000 inhabitants living in informal settlements near the installation were killed and 170,000 were injured with immediate and long term health effects. The pesticide plant owner faced a Court settlement of USD470 million.

13 November 2005, Jilin, ChinaAn explosion occurred at a petrochemical plant due to a blockage in a processing nitration tower for the production of benzene. This resulted in the contamination of the Songhua River with an estimated 100 tonnes of benzene, aniline, and nitrobenzene.

Consequences: There were 6 fatalities. 70 persons were injured and 10,000 were evacuated. The drinking water supply was disrupted along Songhua River. Transboundary pollution occured into the Russian Federation.

05 May 2012, Map Ta Phut, Rayong, ThailandA fire and explosion occurred at a petrochemicals plant, which manufactured polybutadiene, while the workers of the plant were cleaning the polymer production line using toluene as a cleaning solvent to change between production batches.

Consequences: 12 people were killed and 129 injured due to blast injuries, burns, and inhalation of toxic fumes. In addition, thousands of people were evacuated from nearby factories and communities. Property damage loss of USD140 million was incurred.

27 September 2012, Gumi, South KoreaAbout eight tonnes of hydrofluoric acid escaped from a chemical factory after an explosion that occurred during unloading of the acid from a tanker. Due to improper firefighting response, the acid further spread.

Consequences: 5 workers were killed and 18 were injured. More than 3,000 residents have sought medical help for rashes, nausea, chest pain and sore eyes. Vegetation crops and livestock were affected. The estimated damages were worth more than USD20 million.

Why establish a chemical accidents program?

• To save lives, and protect health and the environment from chemical accidents.• To reduce economic impacts such as property damage, loss of employment, bankruptcy,

costs related to response, clean-up and recovery, and/or costs incurred by other surroundingindustries in the vicinity of an accident.

• For compliance to international agreements, or recommendations, related to reducingchemical risks. At the national level, it helps improve cooperation and coordination amongthe many agencies and bodies with relevant responsibilities. At the local level, it provides aplatform for improving communication and trust between local leaders, the public, andother stakeholders.

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Flexible framework for addressing chemical accident prevention and preparednessIn 2007, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established an international initiative called A Flexible Framework for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness. The program aims to:

• Increase countries’ understanding of issues related to chemical accident prevention and preparedness;

• Improve the capacity of relevant institutions, agencies and experts to address the risks of chemical accidents;

• Help countries to develop and implement an appropriate chemical accident prevention and preparedness (CAPP) program.

It is part of UNEP’s work pursuant to the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). The publication called A Flexible Framework for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness - a Guidance Document is a result of this international initiative, which builds upon more than 30 years of experience in addressing chemical accident prevention and takes into account international agreements in this area, key national and regional laws and regulations, and other international guidance materials. The purpose of this Guidance is to support governments that want to develop, improve, or review their program for chemical accident prevention and preparedness related to hazardous installations.

An expert working group was established by UNEP for the development of the Guidance and for advisory and technical support for implementing projects and activities of the Initiative. The Expert Working Group is coordinated by UNEP, and has representatives from various international and regional organizations (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, International Labour Organization, World Health Organization, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), World Health Organisation, United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Joint United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Environment Unit (JEU), European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, International Council of Chemical Associations, and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center).

9th meeting of the Expert Working Group of UNEP Flexible Framework Initiative, October 2013Photo: UNEP

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Elements of a CAPP Program

The Guidance describes the following elements of a typical Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness program. These elements have been derived from international agreements, the Seveso II Directive from the European Union, and the Risk Management Plan (RMP) rule under Clean Air Act of United States of America, as well as decades of experience by various countries in implementing relevant laws, policies, and agreements.

1. ScopeInformation related to the definition of types of industries, facilities, and/or substances covered by a chemical accident prevention and preparedness program is provided.

Role of competent authorities 2. Information management

Under the “Role of Competent Authorities” information is provided in relation to activities generally carried out by identified government bodies.

3. Inspections4. Off-site preparedness planning5. Siting and land-use planning

Requirements of industry6. General duty clause

The types of requirements generally imposed on industry or undertaken by industry to meet a general obligations to operate their installations safely are specified under the “Requirements of Industry”.

7. Notification8. Prevention policy9. Hazard identification and risk

assess.10. Safety reports11. Preparedness planning

Information to the public

12. Information to the public This section describes the types of information that should be provided to those potentially affected in an accident.

Accident reporting, investigation and follow-up

13. Accident reporting This section provides information on accident reporting and investigations for lessons learned.

Most countries with significant chemical industries, or other hazardous installations, have legal and policy instruments addressing most, if not all, of the elements outlined above. Due to resource constraints and lack of political will, developing countries may not be in a position to implement and enforce a comprehensive chemical accidents program. The Guidance document provides information to support a country identify which elements may be appropriate in its specific circumstances.

The goal is to establish a program that is in proportion to the level of risks in a country, taking into account the country’s risks, availability of resources, political imperatives, and local customs. Furthermore, a country should consider how it can most effectively build its chemical accidents program, developing it in stages, focusing first on the highest priority concerns and subsequently addressing additional elements (and/or larger scope) as per the availability of its resources and experience.

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CAPP inception workshop in Manila, the PhillippinesPhoto: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Phillippines

National CAPP Program projects

Country-level implementation projects are supported by UNEP as part of the Flexible Framework Initiative to assist individual countries in improving chemical accident prevention and preparedness based on the Guidance document.

The overall objective of a CAPP Program project is to enhance the capacity of relevant institutions in a country to manage and respond to chemical accident risks, with a long-term view of developing a comprehensive CAPP Program that builds upon existing legislation.

These CAPP projects are designed to help countries:

• Identify the risks of chemical accidents;• Define their needs and priorities for improved management of chemical accident risks;• Engage all relevant stakeholders;• Improve understanding of key issues; and• Prepare a strategy for the development and implementation of a chemical accident

prevention and preparedness program (called a “Roadmap”).

The following will be achieved during the course of the CAPP Program project:

• Capacity building of key stakeholders regarding elements of a CAPP Program in which the training sessions are tailored to suit the needs of the country.

• A multi-stakeholder Task Force will be established to serve as the main driving force for Project activities and to allow for continuing activities related to CAPP beyond the lifetime of the Project. This will be a beneficial platform for the country to practise inter-agency coordination.

• Opportunities for regional cooperation - Countries can request for guidance and support from other countries in the region during CAPP Program implementation for exchange of knowledge and experience. This promotes regional (South-south) cooperation due to the following similarities: regional flavor and political interests among the member governments, similar scale of production and industries, supply chain neighbors.

• Access to international expertise - As part of country-level project implementation, UNEP has been bringing together a team of international experts and organizations to assist with workshops and training sessions that are adapted to meet local needs. This subsequently provides a great opportunity to gain advisory support from international experts during the course of the project.

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Flexible Framework Initiative: Implementation in AsiaIn Asia, three national CAPP Program projects were implemented in Cambodia (2009–2010), the Philippines (2009-2010) and Sri Lanka (2012-2013). All three of these projects were executed by UNEP, and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center served as the Technical Support Partner. The Norwegian Government funded both the projects in Cambodia and the Philippines. Sri Lanka’s project was funded by Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)’s Quick Start Programme Trust Fund. The respective national focal agencies for the projects were Ministry of Environment of Cambodia, Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines, and Central Environmental Authority of Sri Lanka.

The following common priorities were identified by Cambodia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka in theirrespective Roadmap for a CAPP Program:

• policies and legal instruments addressing different aspects of CAPP in addition to strengthening of enforcement measures;

• multi-agency coordination and information sharing between agencies;• adoption of a uniform system for classification and labelling of chemical substances as part

of the national legislation e.g., Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS);

• capacity building for competent inspectors;• siting and land-use planning of hazardous facilities in safe locations (industrial zones) to

minimize adverse effects to the community in the event of an accident;• public-private sector cooperation;• onsite and offsite preparedness planning; and • sustainable sources of funding (via national and/or foreign funds) for CAPP Program

development and implementation.

Industrial site visit - paint manufacturing, Colombo, Sri LankaPhoto: Central Environmental Authority, Sri Lanka

CAPP training workshop, in Manila, the PhilippinesPhoto: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines

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Thailand (Department of Industrial Works) has collaborated with Sri Lanka to conduct a training session and an industrial visit in Thailand for Sri Lankan participants. The participants visited relevant Thai authorities and industries and learned about CAPP-related experience and lessons learned in Thailand. Thailand has also supported Sri Lanka in providing guidance and training for GHS implementation.

In China, Tsinghua University and Renmin University have collaborated to promote different aspects of CAPP in the country:

• The establishment of a Research Institute for Environmental Emergency Management Law and Policy on Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness.

• Research study on public participation and risk communication regimes in China related to chemical industrial accident prevention and preparedness.

• A workshop on Risk Assessment (May 2014) hosted by Ministry of Environment Protection, China for Chinese stakeholders and regional participants from Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Resource Persons from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (Major Accident Hazards Bureau) also participated.

Industrial Estate Authority visit by Sri Lankan participants at Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Thailand.Photo: Department of Industrial Works, Thailand

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The Guidance provides detailed information for developing countries in initiating their own national CAPP program. For further support in starting an official CAPP Program Project, the following steps can be considered.

1. Request for assistance by a contact point in the Implementing Country, directed to UNEP or other Technical Support Partner.

2. Consultations between the Implementing Country and Technical Support Partner regarding presence of necessary support within the Implementing Country (including financial and political support), general agreement to move forward with the project and its objectives, activities and a related timetable.

3. Funding: If needed, the Technical Support Partner can work with the Implementing Country to identify potential sources of additional financial support, to complement any resources committed by the Country.

4. Designation of Focal Point(s): The Implementing Country designates a Focal Point(s), who is delegated with authority to work with the Technical Support Partner, make decisions concerning the organization of the Project, reach out to key stakeholders in the Country, and take the steps necessary to prepare for the first activities.

5. Start-up (“Scoping”) Meeting is scheduled for the Technical Support Partner to meet with representatives of the Implementing Country to discuss the Project’s main objectives and activities, and explain the roles of the Implementing Country.

6. Project Inception Workshop: A national Inception Workshop, the official launching of the Project, is organized to raise awareness about chemical accident prevention and to identify all relevant stakeholders for the Project.

Technical Support Partner

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is the leading regional resource center on disaster risk reduction in the Asia-Pacific. With support from its development partners, ADPC builds resilience against natural hazards in 26 countries in the most disaster-prone region of the world.

UNEP Flexible Framework Initiative provided ADPC with an opportunity to expand into the area of chemical accident prevention preparedness (technological disaster risk reduction); a very critical issue especially in the face of increasing vulnerability and exposure due to rapid economic development and urbanization. As part of the CAPP Program Project, ADPC worked with Cambodia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka as a Technical Support Partner to develop a comprehensive understanding of each country’s situation, dialoguing with the various interested partners; determine the various initiatives already underway; and, through a process of consultation, identify priority actions for implementation.

ADPC remains committed to providing relevant technical support to help the countries implement their priorities and strengthen the partnerships between national agencies traditionally involved in handling chemical accidents and natural hazards.

How to start a CAPP Program Project?

High-Level Dialogue for CAPP in CambodiaPhoto: Ministry of Environment, Cambodia

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Publications and materials A Flexible Framework for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness: A Guidance document (UNEP, 2010) (translated to Arabic, Chinese, French, Kiswahili, Sinhala, Spanish, Tamil and Thai)ISBN: 978-92-807-3094-4The Guidance helps countries with limited staff, funds, equipment, and other resources to understand how they can identify risks, assess priorities, and address these in order to make the most efficient use of the resources that are available. Furthermore, this Guidance recognizes that implementing a chemical accidents program is a process, which can start with small steps and grow and improve over time.

A Flexible Framework for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness An Implementation Support Package (ISP) (UNEP, 2012)ISBN: 978-92-807-3265-8By capturing the experience from earlier projects (Cambodia and the Philippines), it includes guidance and materials for countries wishing to follow the process described in the Guidance as well as for external organizations and experts helping implementing countries by providing training or other technical support.

Online training course: Introduction to Industrial Accidents: prevention, preparedness and response http://eecentre.org/CourseDetails.aspx/id/3/lan/en-USJointly developed with JEU and UNECE, this course aims to raise awareness about industrial accidents in order to strengthen the capacity of government, industry and civil society. Available in English, French and Russian. Coming soon in Chinese.

CAPP web-portalhttp://www.capp.eecentre.orgHosted by Environmental Emergencies Centre and managed by UNEP, this website provides up-to-date information regarding the Flexible Framework Initiative, its past and ongoing activities, events, and resource materials.

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Industrial accidents involving chemicals – such as spills, explosions, fires, or toxic vapour clouds – can injure or kill people and cause significant damage to property, the environment, and the local economy.

As part of an initiative led by United Nations Environment Programme, a Flexible Framework for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness has been developed, offering guidance for governments that wish to develop, review, or strengthen their national chemical accidents prevention and preparedness programs.

This booklet offers an overview of the Flexible Framework Initiative and its past activities in Asia. It also highlights the importance of addressing chemical accident prevention and preparedness. Additionally, it consists of useful information for prospective countries and regional organizations interested in pursuing activities in Asia related to chemical accident prevention and preparedness.