Introduction

Assessing and managing potential health risks from the production and use of metals and inorganic metal compounds is an increasingly important consideration for mining and metals companies. The Health Risk Assessment Guidance for Metals (HERAG) has been published in response to these consideration. Launched jointly by ICMM, Eurofer and Eurometaux, who have contracted EBRC Consulting GmbH (Hannover, Germany) in collaboration with ILZRO (Raleigh, NC) for support and implementation of the project, HERAG has assembled a set of the most advanced and appropriate methods available for human-health based risk assessment of metals. HERAG is intended to address the specific properties of metals, metal compounds, alloys and other naturally occurring inorganic substances that sometimes warrant the application of a risk assessment methodology, which is different to that developed for and applicable to organic industrial chemicals. HERAG is not intended to replace current risk assessment concepts but rather to amend current methodology by addressing metal-specific aspects.

HERAG Contractors

HERAG Documents

The final HERAG documentation consists of a summary document and 8 final fact sheets.

This summary document gives the key guidance elements for metals risk assessment and addresses the purpose, the intended use, the scope and the organization of the HERAG Project. The 8 fact sheets provide more elaborated and detailed guidance on specific aspects of risk assessment and also include concise summaries of relevant aspects from previous metal risk assessments.

The HERAG documents are available for download on either of these two website, which also contain more background information on the project (Links updated on 18th July 2011):

HERAG Project Website by EBRC Consulting GmbH: http://www.ebrc.de/industrial-chemicals-reach/projects-and-references/herag.php

HERAG Project Website by ICMM: http://www.icmm.com/library_pub_detail.php?rcd=207
A printed copy of the summary document, including a CD-ROM containing the 8 final fact sheets can be requested from ICMM: info@icmm.com

HERAG Sponsors

Imprint: Responsible for content: Dr. Rüdiger Battersby; Address: EBRC Consulting GmbH, Raffaelstr. 4, D-30177 Hannover, Germany; Contact: Phone: +49(0)511-898389-0, Fax: +49(0)511-898389-10 , E-Mail: mail@ebrc.de, Commercial Register Hannover, No. HRB 54097; Disclaimer: EBRC is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site. The hypertext links provided herein are meant only as a convenience and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by EBRC of the referenced site.