According to a report consulted by EUROPE on Monday 20 November, Claude Rolin MEP (EPP, Belgium), rapporteur on the second revision of the directive on exposure to carcinogenic and mutagenic agents at work, is calling for exposure of workers to diesel engine gas exhausts to be restricted.
Contrary to the conclusions from the European Commission, which supervised the directive’s revision, the MEP believes it absolutely necessary to include a value limit for diesel gas exhausts in the annexes to the legislative text which they would set at 0.05mg/m3, calculated on the basis of the “elemental carbon” level.
The MEP explained in his justification that exhaust gases from engines produced by diesel engine fuels contain a mixture of toxic substances, including elemental carbon. The latter is made up of a significant part of exhaust gases from diesel engines and is often used as an exposure indicator, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands.
A worrying situation. Mr Rolin pointed out that 3.6 million workers in the EU are “possibly” exposed to diesel engine gas exhausts that are above accepted average levels of 0.013mg/m3. The MEP also emphasised that the World Health Organisation’s Research Centre on Cancer had classified diesel engine gas exhausts as carcinogenic to human beings in 2012.
The MEP explained, “For this reason and on the basis of clause 14 of the 2004/37/EC directive announcing that the precautionary principle should be applied to the protection of workers’ health, your rapporteur is advocating that all diesel engine emissions are considered, without distinction”.
It should be recalled that during the first revision of the said directive, the Commission for Employment and Social Affairs, Marianne Thyssen, said that she needed robust analysis to be carried out in order to set out value limits for diesel engine gases. In an effort to move quickly forward, she decided to present the first revisions without diesel gases, before mentioning to MEPs in July that these value limits can be introduced into a possible 4th revision before the end of her mandate (see EUROPE 11830).
Extension of “skin observations”
Mr Rolin is calling on the European Commission “to pursue its work” on proposing exposure value limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons calculated on the basis of benzopyrene. Following the Council in its general approaches, the MEP is proposing to extend “skin observations” to all mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Finally, the MEP once again (see EUROPE 11830) expressed his wish to put in place a regular and continuous revision process.
The cut-off date for submitting amendments is 5 December and the vote at the employment and social affairs committee (EMPL) is planned for 21 or 22 February 2018. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)