Regulatory initiatives
Most countries that manufacture fertilizers have introduced regulatory initiatives to reinforce safety over the years. In particular:
1. The United States has adopted the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1970. The resulting annual US benchmarking index compares the safety performance of the different fertilizer manufacturers.
2. The European Community has implemented Directive (91/115/EEC) and its amendment (93/112/EEC), which define the safety information to be given on fertilizer products, as well as the way in which it must be expressed.
Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies on a Local Level (APELL) is a programme developed by UNEP in conjunction with governments and industry with the purpose of minimizing the occurrence and harmful effects of technological accidents and environmental emergencies.
The strategy of the APELL approach is to identify and create awareness of risks in an industrialized community, to initiate measures for risk reduction and mitigation, and to develop coordinated preparedness between the industry, the local authorities and the local population.