Hazardous materials management in the city of Victoria: A team approach

Currently there is no integrated "team" strategy in place that supports the effective management of hazardous materials information in the City of Victoria.; This research attempts to answer the question: "Can organizational silos be bridged in the City of Victoria related to hazardous materials management strategies thereby assisting in emergency preparedness planning?"; Currently 12 of the 13 Greater Victoria municipalities are sitting on the Greater Victoria Emergency Coordinating Committee (GVECC) working on joint planning and response. The development of integrated planning is still in its infancy with coordination being a logistical nightmare.; As well as logistics, it is crucial to ensure survivability of designated reception centre sites. In addition to structural assessments by civil engineers and soil density mapping, the location of potential hazardous material storage is vital.; There are additional problems. Although both the public and private sector are regulated by the Workers Compensation Board Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), and are required to maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on all regulated hazardous materials, currently, there is no means of capturing and/or quantifying the magnitude of this issue as it exists in Victoria. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...