Interdepartmental Group on Health Risks from Chemicals

The IGHRC comprises representatives of UK government departments, research councils and agencies, and aims to stimulate the development of new improved approaches to the assessment of risks to human health from chemicals. The group was originally established in 1996 as the Risk Assessment and Toxicology Steering Committee (RATSC) but the name was changed in September 1999 to reflect the broader remit of the group. IEH Consulting provides the scientific Secretariat to the IGHRC.

The IGHRC comprises two committees, a Steering Committee and an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee meets every three to four months and is responsible for the day to day operation of the IGHRC including developing training courses, organising awareness events, writing of reports, and producing guidance documents when required. The Steering Committee steers the Executive Committee and meets once or twice a year to oversee the work of the Executive Committee.

The IGHRC were charged with considering the recommendations in the six reports produced by the Risk Assessment and Toxicology Steering Committee and the First Report and Forward Plan to 2002 and The Annexes to the First Report and Forward Plan to 2002 outline the programme of work to take forward some of these recommendations.