Product impact assessments
The human health and environmental impacts of key products can be assessed through the collation of information such as:
- Hazard data, which refers to the inherent properties of the product (for example toxicological data as found in material safety data sheets), and includes data on potential harm to both humans and the environment.
- Product risk assessment data, which refers to the effects determined for a product in a particular exposure situation.
- Life cycle assessment data, which refers to the potential environmental impacts of a product across its value chain from resource extraction to final product use, reuse or disposal.
In 2005, 43 per cent of businesses had a system in place to assess important human health and environmental impacts of key products throughout their life. This included 13 per cent of businesses with formally evaluated impacts, but where this process was not part of the product stewardship programme, and eight per cent with formally evaluated impacts as part of a product stewardship programme. The remaining 17 per cent had a programme which engaged customers, regulators and the community in the programme where appropriate.
Extent of Product impact assessments in 2005
Three businesses implemented new product impact assessment programmes to evaluate the human health and environmental aspects and impacts of their products during 2005.
Summary of impact assessment programmes
| Year |
Part of PS Program |
Outside of PS Program |
Engagement |
No Evaluation |
| 2004 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
18 |
| 2005 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
13 |
Product stewardship programmes can include management systems to compile data on the health and environment performance of products in order to better inform customers and end users. Two common forms of this data include product labels and material safety data sheets (MSDSs). Other approaches use environmental product disclosures (EPDs).
In 2005, 91 per cent of businesses had some level of system in place to ensure product labelling and MSDS information met national and international standards. Twenty six per cent of businesses had an informal system in place, 35 per cent a formal system containing assigned accountability, and 30 per cent of businesses had a formal system that was audited either internally or externally.
Extent of performance data systems in place
Back to top