Our ESR Elvia Rufo was invited for a short visit at our partner institution Consulteco (Czechia) to get a better understanding of how different companies work in the context of hazardous chemicals. You can read her experiences in her short report.
I am Elvia Rufo, ESR14 in the PRORISK project. In September 2022 I was invited for a short visit at our partner institution Consulteco to get a better understanding of how different companies work in the context of hazardous chemicals. During my 10-day-stay in the Czech Republic, Eva Koliášová and Radka Vokurková (Consulteco) kindly brought me to visit different companies and taught me about their software CASEC, which helps companies to comply with chemicals regulation.
First, we visited Faurecia (CZ), a car exhaust system manufacturing company, where we saw first-hand how they build catalyzers and exhaust systems, and which measures they adopt to ensure safety from the chemicals they use.
We also paid a visit to VUOSas labs in Pardubice to see how they are reducing animal testing when assessing the risks of different chemicals in the Czech Republic, and how these tests work. It is often very time, work and energy demanding to get a sufficient study result in this context.
We were also invited to Paramo (CZ), one of the biggest oil refinery companies in the Czech Republic, to understand how the chemical/physical process of oil refining works from beginning to end.
We finished the visit in Klokocov, where I learnt about Consulteco’s CASEC software and how it helps companies to comply with REACH, CLP and all relevant Health, Safety and Ecology legislation to safely handle chemicals. With CASEC one can make safety data sheets in many different languages. More information can be found at www.casec.cz.
In addition, Eva and Radka brought me to visit different parts of the Czech Republic, where we enjoyed great meals and nice walks around their beautiful landscapes and castles.
Thank you very much Eva and Radka from Consulteco for inviting me to the Czech Republic to learn more about chemicals from a different point of view than what I am used to. I am an environmental economist researcher, so I hardly ever get to experience the companies’ side of handling and using of chemicals. It was a very insightful experience!
Our ESR Chander Kant Negi spend his two months secondment at Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo in May and June 2023. He focused there on toxicogenomic assays. About his experiences, you can read in this report.
We wish you HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024! May it bring you health, love and ever more success in your life.
