Battelle Memorial Institute, the University of Washington, and the University of Oregon are co-sponsoring the international Nanotechnology Health and Safety Forum (NHSF) in Seattle, Washington on June 8 – 9, 2009. The NHSF is coinciding with the first world-wide meeting of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC 229 — Nanotechnologies being held in the United States, and will take place at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center.
Topics covered at the NHSF will include:
- The EHS Progress Report: today’s status and tomorrow’s next steps
- International Standards: developing a timeline & milestones
- Navigating Regulations: encouraging dialogue between Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
- Safety Guidelines: state of the science and recommended occupational safety guidelines for working with nanomaterials
- Managing Risk: the insurance industry perspective
- What’s New: current activities of innovative nano-manufacturers
I have been invited to speak on the insurance/managing risk panel along with speakers from Riddell Williams, Hunton & Williams, Zurich North America, and Chubb Insurance:
The availability of insurance for entities using nanotechnology is critical to the further development and application of nanomaterials in industry. Yet the widening use of nanotechnology (while toxicology remains to be determined) is a central concern for the global insurance industry. Insurance, Nanotechnology, and Risk addresses the prospects for managing nano risk through the perspectives of a Silicon Valley loss control specialist, a major international underwriter, and liability / coverage counsel.
This should be a great conference with an international focus; plus Seattle in June is going to be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.
