Parliament ready to negotiate better protection for workers against exposure to chemicals

On Wednesday, MEPs endorsed a mandate for negotiations with member states on new provisions to improve EU standards to protect workers from exposure to dangerous substances.

The sixth revision of the carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances directive (CMRD) proposes new exposure limit values for certain dangerous chemicals, based on the latest scientific data. It concerns new limit values for cobalt and its inorganic compounds, used for battery production, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, used in steel, iron and aluminium production, and 1,4-dioxane, used for chemical and textile production, and adds welding fumes.

Parliament’s mandate, prepared by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, adds a long-term occupational exposure limit value for isoprene (used in the chemical and rubber producing industry). It also includes an obligation for employers to provide personal protective equipment, such as respiratory protective devices, when residual exposure cannot be reduced to levels below the limit values, which need to be adjusted to a worker’s body-type.

MEPs also want additional protection measures for firefighters and emergency services personnel, who are at risk of coming into contact with a variety of hazardous materials during their work, as well as better financial and technical support for small and medium sized businesses.

Quote

Rapporteur Liesbet Sommen (EPP, BE), said: “This sixth revision of the carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances directive sets important new exposure limit values for dangerous substances at work. In the EU, each year around 120,000 workers are diagnosed with cancer following exposure to carcinogens at their workplace. This has to change. Today, we enhance workers’ protection by adding a new limit for isoprene and cobalt, which both pose a real threat to their health, and call for the better use of personal protective equipment to improve the working conditions of thousands of workers across the EU and at the same time enabling employers to reach the new limits. By doing all this, we are protecting more workers and making sure that less workers will get sick because of doing their job, while simultaneously protecting our strategic autonomy, and ensuring continuity for our decarbonisation and defence sectors.”

Next steps

Now that both Parliament and the Council adopted their negotiating position, interinstitutional negotiations on the final shape of the new rules can begin.

Background

The sixth revision of the carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances directive should improve the protection of workers against occupational diseases and lower risks to workers’ health. According to the European Commission, it will prevent about 1,700 lung cancer cases and 19,000 other illnesses over the next 40 years.