The Precautionary Principle guides nurses in their practice to use products and practices that do not harm human health or the environment and to take preventive action in the face of uncertainty . 3. Nurses have a right to work in an environment that is safe and healthy.
What is the precautionary principle and how is it applied to public health and the core functions?
The precautionary principle asserts that the burden of proof for potentially harmful actions by industry or government rests on the assurance of safety and that when there are threats of serious damage, scientific uncertainty must be resolved in favor of prevention.
What is the precautionary principle in nursing?
The Precautionary Principle posits that, in the absence of certainty, the appropriate course of action is to err on the side of caution . The Principle has been applied to decision making and policy development related to environmental health issues both internationally and in the United States.
How is the precautionary principle applied?
The precautionary principle applies where scientific evidence is insufficient, inconclusive or uncertain and preliminary scientific evaluation indicates that there are reasonable grounds for concern that the potentially dangerous effects on the environment, human, animal or plant health may be inconsistent with the ...
What is an example of the precautionary principle?
For example: As a precautionary measure, the Food and Drug Administration requires all new drugs to be tested before they are put on the market . The Food Quality and Protection Act of 1996 requires pesticides to be proven safe for children or removed.
How important do you think the precautionary principle should be in government policy?
The precautionary principle enables decision-makers to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high .
What are the 4 components of the precautionary principle?
The precautionary principle, proposed as a new guideline in environmental decision making, has four central components: taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty; shifting the burden of proof to the proponents of an activity; exploring a wide range of alternatives to possibly harmful actions; and increasing ...
Where did the precautionary principle come from?
The precautionary principle originates from the German principle of foresight or Vorsorge . Germany further developed this principle in the 1970s as a foundation for its environmental law and policies on global warming and acid rain.
What is precautionary principle in sustainable development?
The precautionary principle seeks to ensure that a substance or human activity which may cause a threat to the environment is prevented from causing harm to environment, even if there is no conclusive scientific proof of linking that particular substance or human activity to environmental damage.
How can nurses promote environmental health?
Take energy. Nurses can encourage their practice sites to use safer energy sources . Renewable energy, such as hydro, wind and solar created less environmental damage than fossil fuel based sources such as coal or natural gas.
Why is it important for nurses to understand the premises of environmental health?
Why is it important for nurses to understand the premises of environmental health? Nurses should be able to assess risks and advocate for policies that support healthy environments .
What are the key nursing functions for an environmental health nurse?
The practice of occupational and environmental health nursing focuses on health promotion, illness and injury prevention, and the protection of individuals from occupational and environmental hazards .
What is the main criterion for upholding the precautionary principle?
In the application of the precautionary principle, public and private decisions should be guided by: (i) careful evaluation to avoid, wherever practicable, serious or irreversible damage to the environment ; and (ii) an assessment of the risk-weighted consequences of various options.
What are the strengths of precautionary principle?
Nevertheless, a clear advantage of the precautionary principle is that it requires decision-makers to explain the rationale behind their decisions, to quantify the risks, and to provide objective information .
What is precautionary principle support your answer with case laws?
For example, the Supreme Court in M C Mehta v Union of India 43 while explaining the scope of the precautionary principle stated ‘ the principle requires anticipatory action to be taken to prevent harm . The harm can be prevented even on a reasonable suspicion’.
How can the precautionary principle lead to a broader consideration for our society’s health and the environment?
The precautionary principle provides an additional rationale for public health and environmental surveillance activities. Surveillance is needed to detect threats of adverse consequences as early as possible to maximize the value of precautionary activities . Surveillance also helps to put threats in perspective.
How is the precautionary principle used in environmental health What is an alternative philosophical approach?
What is an alternative philosophical approach? The precautionary principle is used in environmental health as a cautious approach to identify troublesome toxicants before being released into the environment , but it may also impede the pace of technology and economic advances.
What is precautionary principle and polluter pays principle?
One view of the Precautionary Principle is that it is a reversal of the burden of proof . That is, the polluter or resource user bears the onus of proving his activity is not harmful to the environment before he can proceed.
How many precautionary principle are there?
Application. Various interests being represented by various groups proposing the principle resulted in great variability of its formulation: one study identified 14 different formulations of the principle in treaties and non-treaty declarations. R.B.
What is the precautionary principle philosophy?
The basic idea underlying a precautionary principle (PP) is often summarized as “ better safe than sorry .” Even if it is uncertain whether an activity will lead to harm, for example, to the environment or to human health, measures should be taken to prevent harm.
What role does the precautionary principle play in environmental decision-making and dealing with uncertainty?
The Precautionary Principle recognizes that delaying action until there is compelling evidence of harm will often mean that it is then too costly or impossible to avert the threat. Use of the principle promotes action to avert risks of serious or irreversible harm to the environment in such cases.
What is the precautionary principle and is it good or bad?
When applied, the precautionary principle would prohibit the majority of clinical trials , because it holds that when decision-makers lack sufficient knowledge about the effects of a potentially dangerous activity, one should not proceed.
