The sixth revision of the carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances directive (CMRD) includes new exposure limit values for certain dangerous chemicals, based on the most up-to-date scientific data.
The co-legislators backed 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, which is used in chemical and textile production. Following Parliament’s insistence, the European Commission will have to assess the need to set additional limit values for substances contained in welding fumes.
Isoprene
Parliament and Council included a long-term occupational exposure limit value for isoprene (used in the chemical and rubber producing industry), as this substance meets the criteria for classification as carcinogenic. Exposure to isoprene can cause irritation to the nose, throat, and lungs, and chronic and high exposure may lead to liver cancer and anaemia.
Further details of the provisional agreement
- The co-legislators agreed to clarify the rules on personal protective equipment, such as respiratory protective devices, including the right to regular breaks in an area clear of contamination risks.
- On hazardous medicinal products, i.e. pharmaceutical substances that can cause harm to workers in the health sector if not handled or used appropriately, the provisional agreement points to the importance of appropriate training of workers who are, or likely to be, exposed.
- The text calls on employers to ensure additional protection measures for firefighters and other emergency services personnel, who are at risk of contact with a variety of hazardous materials in the course of their work. The provisional agreement also underlines the need for specific risk assessments by the European Agency for Health and Safety at work (EU-OSHA) for these high-risk professions.
- Parliament’s negotiators made sure member states will need to help small and medium-sized businesses comply with the revised rules.
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Rapporteur Liesbet Sommen (EPP, BE), said: “Every year, around 120,000 workers in the EU are diagnosed with occupational cancer linked to exposure to carcinogens at work. This is a preventable tragedy that we cannot accept. By introducing stricter exposure limits, this agreement will better protect workers’ health, reduce risks in the workplace and strengthen decent working conditions across the European Union, while giving companies the necessary legal certainty and time to comply with the new standards.”
Next steps
Both Parliament and the Council need to adopt the provisional agreement formally, following a legal-linguistic check, before the rules can enter into force. Parliament is expected to vote on the agreement during the October II plenary.