September 11, 2007 — Nanoparticle-formulations producer Bühler Partec says it is one of the first companies worldwide to introduce a certified nanotechnology risk management system. The German certification body TÜV Süd presented the certificate to Bühler Partec at the NanoEurope industry trade fair (September 11 – 13, St Gallen, Switzerland).
Because there are no uniform worldwide laws or regulations for the production or application of nanoparticles, Bühler Partec, a business unit of the technology group Bühler AG, decided to introduce an internal corporate risk management system to identify possible risks at an early stage and take appropriate measures. According to the company, it is “primarily concerned with gaining a comprehensive overview of strategically relevant developments on a regulatory and social level and ensuring that new insights from science and technology are continuously integrated into [its] objectives.”
The certification system in use at Bühler Partec — called Cenarios — was developed in cooperation with TÜV Süd and the consulting firm Innovationsgesellschaft St Gallen. The partners created the Cenarios system specifically for companies in the nanotechnology field. Among other features, it includes a standardized catalog of requirements for certification. Bühler Partec is the first company in the world to have its own risk management system tested and certified by TÜV Süd according to these requirements.
As part of its Cenarios risk management system, Bühler Partec systematically monitors and registers statements in scientific publications in the fields of nanotechnology and health, environment and workplace safety. In addition the company analyzes, societal and, in particular, regulatory developments, and monitors general trends in technology and the market to ensure that new insights are acquired in a timely manner and integrated into the research, production and marketing of the manufactured products. Furthermore, the company says it continually checks all products and production processes on the basis of available data — and carries out a risk assessment for each processed product.
Bühler Partec says that by introducing a certified risk management system, it is contributing to the effort to work with nanoparticles in a responsible manner and thus fulfill its responsibility to customers, employees, and the environment.