Providing a Risk Management Tool for Handling with Nanomaterial’s based on Control Banding Approach

 With the increase in the use of nanomaterials, there is a greater risk of exposure to harmful substances in occupational settings, especially in those with limited information on the impact on human health. As a result, the assessment of risks associated with these materials is often challenging, as traditional methods are not sufficient. The development and implementation of tools for classifying risk levels can be seen as an essential step in protecting the well-being of individuals engaged in work related to nanomaterials. Among the various approaches, Control Banding (CB) classification emerges as an effective and practicable qualitative technique for evaluating the potential health hazards linked to engineered nanomaterials. The primary objective of this study revolves around employing the Control Banding approach to evaluate and mitigate occupational risks stemming from the manipulation of nanomaterials.

 The resources were examined in order to identify the factors that impact health hazards in workplaces that handle nanomaterials. This examination considered the potential risks associated with nanomaterials found in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, as well as citations from authoritative sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). After conducting a thorough analysis of the available literature, the hazards associated with chemical substances and exposure methods when working with nanomaterials were identified. This analysis further resulted in the determination of the risk and exposure score using the CB approach. Furthermore, an investigation was conducted on control measures related to the identified level of risk.

 The categorization of risk scores, determined by the approach of classifying control measures, yielded five distinct categories. These categories, ranging from HB1 as the lowest to HB5 as the highest level of risk, were established based on information pertaining to indicators such as acute toxicity, sensitization, stimulation, and organ damage. Similarly, the categorization of exposure scores, determined by the approach of classifying control measures, resulted in four distinct categories. These categories, ranging from EB1 as the lowest to EB4 as the highest level of exposure, were derived from information concerning the manufacturing methods and release power of various types of nanomaterials, taking into account the probability of exposure. Subsequently, by merging the categories corresponding to the risk score and exposure, the risk level was determined across five categories, with R1 representing the lowest and R5 representing the highest level of risk. In accordance with the classification approach, control measures were proposed based on each level of occupational risk when working with nanomaterials.

 The nanomaterials risk management tool based on the approach of CB is an easy and qualitative method to evaluate and make decisions in order to reduce the risk of handing nanomaterials. In this approach, it is easy to achieve risk assessment results by identifying the inherent risks of a substance and predicting the probability of exposure. Using such tools in work environments can help professionals identify and remove obstacles and provide the possibility to communicate with managers.