![]() ![]() Parliament will be ready to start negotiations on the file after confirmation during a plenary session in May. The report targets a harmonised EU approach in detection and prevention of asbestos, bringing the obligation for medical surveillance in line with scientific knowledge.įinally, the text takes into account passive and secondary exposures to asbestos and sets out a list of means to avoid them, such as the use of individual protective and respiratory equipment, the safe cleaning of clothing, a mandatory decontamination procedure, and minimum training requirements for workers in specialised asbestos removal undertakings. The proposals would fully come into force after a four-year transitional period where a transitional OEL equal to 0.01 fibres/cm³ would apply, while EU countries would still be able to use the current phase-contrast microscope (PCM) method. The draft text calls on employers to reduce exposure to asbestos fibres to the lowest possible level and below an occupational-exposure limit (OEL) of 0.001 fibres/cm³ on an eight-hour average, while aiming to introduce the use of electron microscopy to efficiently detect thinner fibres, often the most carcinogenic. Asbestos fibres are by far the major cause of work-related cancer, with as much as 78% of occupational cancers recognised in the member states as being related to exposure to asbestos. On Wednesday, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs approved a draft report on a revision of the Asbestos at Work Directive with 40 votes in favour, none against and 7 abstentions.Īsbestos is an extremely hazardous carcinogen, which continues to impact on various economic sectors, such as construction and renovation, mining, waste management and firefighting, where workers face a high risk of exposure. MEPs want to eradicate EU employees’ risk of exposure to carcinogenic substances at work by increasing their detection through new technology and adding safety obligations for employers.
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