The European Commission is proposing new measures to promote health and safety in the workplace throughout the Union. On Tuesday 10 January, it presented a range of new exposure value limits for seven cancer-causing chemical products. These values complete the first package of measures presented in May 2016 (see EUROPE 11551).
In the Union, the principles relating to protecting workers against carcinogenic agents are set out in framework directive 89/391/EC on health and safety in the workplace and by the directives specially focusing on chemical hazards, particularly the directive on chemical agents and the directive on carcinogenic and mutagenic agents. The latter (2004/37/EC) puts the onus on employers to ensure a maximum reduction in the risks facing their workers. It is also calling on the Commission to set out value limits as soon as it has sufficient information.
The Commissioner for Employment, Marianne Thyssen, explained “The European Union has particularly high standards on workers’ protection. This is proved by the fact that their health and safety has improved over recent years”. She argued that the death rate in this connection had fallen by 25% and workplace related problems by 10% since 2008.
Following the first wave of proposals (see previous paragraph), the Commission is now suggesting new exposure value limits for seven chemical products causing cancers: epichlorohydrin, ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride, 4.4'-methylenedianiline, trichloroethylene, complex HAP compounds with benzo[a]pyrene as an indicator, as well as oils used for internal combustion engines. The country that will be most affected will be Cyprus. Its current exposure values are particularly high. The Commission will subsequently present a variety of advice and tools to help employers assess psycho-social and ergonomic risks, as well as those connected to their ageing workforces. Finally, it will also be proposing a reflection process with member states and social partners in an effort to find ways of scrapping or updating the rules that will become outmoded over the next two years.
Mixed response
As we went to press, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME) were the only two organisations to have reacted to the new proposals. The former criticised the lack of ambition displayed by the European Commission, which it said had “made a commitment to proposing 25 exposure value limits in 2016 and a total of 50 by 2020” (Ed, as opposed to the current 20). The organisation is particularly critical of the lack of value limits for diesel fumes and repro-toxins. The UEAPME, however, is much more positive and welcomed the work undertaken by the Commission. It was particularly pleased with the specific guidelines to help micro-enterprises and small companies.
The Parliament employment and social affairs committee will give its verdict on 28 February on the first batch of Commission proposals to set out the limits for 13 chemical substances. The draft report by Marita Ulvskog (S&D, Sweden) contains recommendations such as the additional inclusion of reprotoxic substances and stricter value limits for half of the substances identified by the Commission. (Sophie Petitjean)