More readily available information on the intrinsic hazards and exposure risks associated with the substances involved in their work allows for a more thorough assessment of the short and long term risks. This, in turn, facilitates the making of an informed decision on the containment measures and working practices required to control them. Will the system ensure a high level of protection for health and the environment reflecting the precautionary principle and the principle of sustainability, while ensuring that other relevant aspects are taken into account Formal definitions The formal definitions of terms appearing in the glossary appear to be inconsistent. If there are intended to be continuing exclusions, the boundaries need to be made clear. In principle, everything is a mixture or composite of chemical substances.
Work needs to be done on a set of definitions that make scientific, legal and policy sense.
The proposed legislation appears to concentrate on products. To those working on the production process, the side products may also present the greatest risks as they will usually be at higher levels during the production process than the contaminants in the final products, but the current proposals do not seem to provide for the evaluation of their hazards. Once again, this may pose significant risks to both people and the environment. Some persistent organic chemicals are not directly produced by manufacture but are degradation products. The paper should consider whose responsibility these are and explicitly define the limits of responsibility.