María Inés Esquivel SAICM FOCAL POINT

1. Caribean workshop on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and related chemical and hazardous waste management instruments, Bridgetown, Barbados 10 -13 March 2009 SAICM IMPLEMENTATION IN PANAMA María Inés Esquivel SAICM FOCAL POINT

2. Background • As part of the initiation and process of SAICM in Panamá, we have a series of actions and documents linked to some International Agreements related to Chemical Safety, among others: • National Chemical safety profile • POPs inventories • Mercury inventory • Lead in batteries • Control and monitoring of Ozone Depleting substances

3. Governance • Drafted decrees which create the National Committee on Chemical Safety with the participation of Academy and Civil Society as consultants • Drafted the resolution which creates the MINSA´s internal commission on chemicals • Revision of participation mechanisms • Chemicals management policy • National SAICM Forum (Panama City, January 2008) • With these results, the National Program for Chemicals Management and SAICM Implementation is created • Web page • 2 Partnership Projects on selected priority topics: • Pesticides waste • Chemical risks in the construction sector

4. Empty Pesticides Containers • Partnership: Local level, MIDA, MINSA (leader), ANAM, ACADEMY, Health Committee, NGO (leader), ANDIA • Awareness raising on the Triple Wash of containers in 800 farms • Currently, undergoing a “controlled” burning of containers in modified 55-gallon drums with certain specifications which technique has not been approved by MINSA, but there are no other current alternatives • The activities and discussion meetings have prompted the group to present proposals in other venues and to include the subject of the containers in other projects • Participation in local agricultural fairs

5. Chemicals risks in construction • Working on this subject is more complicated because the construction sector does not want to know about problems, least of all a new problem which would be chemicals in construction, because they are more accustomed to deal with working accidents. • Partnership: NGOs, Academy, MITRADEL, MINSA, CSS, CAPAC • Construction materials were identified in the local market which could cause some illness by exposure to chemicals. • This information is being handled by NGOs to create educational and training material for the construction workers. • Partnership with the Cámara de la Construcción (CAPAC), NGOs and Academy to poll knowledge and practices in construction. The poll results will be ready by the end of May. • Research about identifying and determining chemicals risks in construction.

6. Some conclusions on identifying and determining chemicals risks in construction • It was possible to take the first national inventory of the labor environment which is vulnerable to chemicals risks in the construction industry. • by type of duty/activity, in reference to the most dangerous materials, and the class, time and means of exposure, • according to the identified activity, time of exposure as well as geographical location of the risks based on the concentrated areas of construction and distributors of materials which represent a health risk to workers. • It was possible to establish the first database of products and materials used in construction based on the manufacturers’ reported toxicity, which will enable the design of sensitivity tools, education and training for the actors involved in the construction industry. • It was not possible to have access to the information about how these substances are transported, or how much it is used annually in the whole country, that would allow a reduction in the vulnerability to exposure to these agents by the transportation personnel as well as anyone who may be exposed to these materials. • There are no formal training programs in the majority of businesses involved in the construction industry, which underscores the need to create programs to help the actors involved in the industry to effectively and efficiently respond to risks control and in reducing the vulnerability associated with each type of activity.

7. Risk reductionMonitoring risks and dangers (SALTRA) • Databases on use of pesticides and other toxic chemicals represent another means for indirect control of hazardous occupational and environmental exposures, and to the public at large, by indicating the hazardous materials used and the way they ought to be used. • These first steps to establish a national registry for pesticides will grow even more, just as the methods to keep a record of where (regions, crops) and how (type, frequency and application dosage, and other conditions of use) the pesticides selected in Central American countries are used.

8. Knowledge and Information • In Partnership with the SALTRA network, some courses have been addressed to government workers and NGOs, such as: • Basic notions of Epidemiology / Environmental Epidemiology (ASDI-SALTRA), for officers of different government ministries, such as MIDA, MITRADEL, ANAM and MINSA • Safety and Occupational Hygiene (3) (ASDI) addressed to construction project inspectors • Basic notions of occupational health and occupational Epidemiology for the health sector (with the collaboration of CR and HON) • Epiinfo program (pending for April 2009) • Web page: http://www.ciimet.org/seguridad/ • Mercury Inventory: 2008 • PRTR: QSF 2008

9. Next Steps • Presentation of progress to date at ICCM-2 • Finish 2 partnership project: analyze results and lesson learned • Signing the proposals decrees for National Committee. • Promote a new law for construction labor • Present to new government (July) SAICM • Final workshop to finish the Governance Project • Execute the PRTR project

10. Thanks