Chemical safety and biosafety
The OECD assists countries in developing and implementing policies and instruments that make their systems for managing chemicals as efficient and robust as possible, while protecting human health and the environment.
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Global Forum on Environment dedicated to mercury
The OECD organised a Global Forum on Environment on 7-8 November to present innovative solutions to eliminate or reduce mercury from the supply chain. Watch the event and access the presentations.
Tracking the progress made towards reducing industrial pollution to meet the UN SDG target 12.4
Countries are taking action against toxic chemicals emitted into air, water and land by industry. How can countries track progress made towards this target? The new OECD report looks at Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers data as a means to track toxic releases to monitor chemical pollution in order to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.4.
What are countries around the world doing to tackle the risks of industrial and consumer chemicals?
The Chemical Legislation indicator allows you to explore the legal frameworks set up by each country to protect human health and the environment.
OECD work on Chemical Safety and Biosafety 2021-24
This brochure provides an overview of ongoing and planned work at the OECD on chemical safety and biosafety.
IOMC Toolbox
The IOMC Toolbox has been redesigned to provide easier and more direct access to eight management schemes, five toolkits, and more than 500 IOMC tools, guidance documents, and training materials. This new and improved platform enables users to access information with less steps and less clicks.
Keeping a close watch on chemicals
By collaborating on chemicals testing through a common OECD system and standards, countries are able to better protect citizens, animals and the environment, while saving costs.
Latest news
- Nine Adverse Outcome Pathways were published following scientific review and OECD endorsement
- Webinar replay: Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) concepts and OECD Case Studies
- Webinar replay: Recent improvements and future challenges for the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework and the AOP-Wiki
- Webinar replay: Advances in Understanding Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
- Report: Government Risk Management Approaches Used for Chemicals Management
- Synthesis Report on Understanding Side-Chain Fluorinated Polymers and Their Life (Annex)
- Watch the Global Forum on Environment dedicated to mercury
- More news
50 years of chemical safety at the OECD
Key areas of work
- Test guidelines
- Good laboratory practices
- Mutual acceptance of data
- Hazard assessment
- Exposure assessment
- Risk management of chemicals
- Safety of manufactured nanomaterials
- Agricultural pesticides
- Biocides
- Chemical accident prevention, preparedness and response
- Global Inventory of Pollutant Releases
- Best available techniques to prevent and control industrial pollution
- Safety of products derived from modern biotechnology
- Development co-operation and sound management of chemicals
- Tools supporting chemicals management
Wider international context
The OECD co-operates closely with various international organisations, through the Inter-organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) towards the implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) which bring together governments from more than 150 countries and various stakeholders.
OECD Legal instruments
A number of OECD Council acts in force are dedicated to chemical safety and cover areas as diverse as chemical accidents, exchange of confidential data on chemicals or the Polluter-Pays Principle.
Webinars
The OECD organises free webinars bringing world experts together to share best practices for regulatory authorities and the scientific community. Register for an upcoming webinar or watch the video recordings of the past webinars on:
What are countries around the world doing to tackle the risks of industrial and consumer chemicals?
The Chemical Legislation indicator allows you to explore the legal frameworks set up by each country to support the safety of human health and the environment.
This map measures the progress in countries with setting up management systems specifically dedicated to managing the risks of industrial and consumer chemicals, i.e. chemicals which are not covered by specific legislations such a pesticides or pharmaceuticals. It is specifically identifying legislation allowing countries to prioritise chemicals for risk management, perform a risk assessment on priority chemicals and implement, if needed, risk reduction measures based on the outcome of the risk assessment.
Videos
Tracking industrial pollution
Saving costs in chemicals
Combating industrial pollution
Find data in eChemPortal
Key publications
About us
Learn more about our work on Chemical Safety and Biosafety, and read our progress report.
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Contact us
Learn more about the work of the OECD Environment Directorate, and contact us with your questions.