On Monday 15 May, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU submitted a new compromise document on worker exposure values for lead and diisocyanates, in which it proposes, among other things, a transitional occupational exposure limit value (OEL) for lead of 35 µg Pb/100 ml blood until 31 December 2028. For diisocyanates, a transitional value had already been proposed by the Commission.
With regard to lead exposure, “it may be difficult to comply with the biological limit value of 15 µg Pb/100 ml blood (advocated by the Commission). This difficulty is due to the time needed to implement risk management measures and costly adaptation of production processes, especially for companies operating in the sector of primary lead production. Therefore, a transitional value of 35 µg Pb/100 ml blood should apply until 31 December 2028”, explains the Presidency in a note dated 12 May.
The Presidency also adds exceptions for workers with ‘historical’ exposure to lead whose blood lead levels will remain above the new binding biological limit values (BLVs) set out in the directive.
“The provision aims to protect the employers and workers who have respected the BLV currently in force (70 μg Pb/100 ml) but who, given the slow release of lead from the bones, may not be in a position to respect the new BLV in the given time period, even if all required measures to respect the new OEL are applied”.
This specific group may therefore be “allowed to continue with work involving exposure to lead, if it is established that there is a declining trend in their blood lead level”.
The European Parliament rapporteur has set stricter values, especially for female workers of childbearing age (see EUROPE 13179/23).
Link to the document: https://aeur.eu/f/6vu (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)