Preventing chemical accidents

There has been much activity by international organizations in addressing ways to prevent or respond to major chemical accidents at fixed installations. A key initiative was the EEC/EU directive on the major accident hazards of certain industrial activities. The directive, commonly known as the "Seveso" directive, was adopted in 1982. The EEC/EU plans shortly to make a proposal to review the directive fundamentally and increase its scope.

Other recent initiatives in the prevention of chemical accidents include the 1992 ECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, which fostered regional cooperation concerning research and development, exchange of information and exchange of safe technologies, and OECD's comprehensive Guiding Principles for Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response, which was published in 1993. OECD is currently working on extending the scope of its Guiding Principles, including the interface between fixed installations and various transport modes.