ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)83
Vol.1979/0027

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(79)83final
Brussels,2March1979
X'^--Proposalfora
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
ontheprotectionofworkersfromharmfulexposuretochemical,
/-^physicalandbiologicalagentsatwork
X.;:
V<.*
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission)
COM(79)83final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1.General Observations onthe Proposal for aDirective
This proposal isbased onthe Council Resolution of29June 197H
anAction Programme oftheEuropean Communities onSafety andHealth at
Work (1)oItisone ofthemeasures that will increase theprotection
ofworkers against occupational risks ofall kinds ,byimproving the
means and conditions ofwork ,knowledge and human attitudes .
One ofthegeneral objectives ofthis action programme isthat
exposure tooccupational risks ofall workers within the European Commu­
nity must bekept aslow aspossible .Tomonitor more effectively (ho
application ofpreventive measures ,surveillance ofhealth andworking
conditions must beintensified ,notably inline with theexigencies of
occupational medicine ,hygiene and safety appropriate topresent day
conditions .
Theaction programme onsafety andhealth atwork considers that
harmonization ofexposure limits isanessential andurgent matter and
that theupdating ofsuch limits shall take into account thelatest
scientific data available totheCommission ,and both are tobebased on
common concepts and references .
This programme also states that forcertain specific toxic sub­
stances such asasbestos ,arsenic ,cadmium ,lead andchlorinated sol­
vents ,exposure limits ,limit values forhuman biological indicators ,
sampling requirements andmeasuring methods ,andsatisfactory conditions
ofhygiene atwork aretobeestablished before 1982 .
1.OJNo.C165 of11July 1978 .

2.
The Commission has taken account ofthe above considerations in
drawing upthis proposal which isbased onArticle 100 oftheTreaty
establishing the European Economic Community . Itlays down common
principles for theprevention ofrisks and theprotection oftheexposed
worker . Italso makes provision fordrawing upindividual Directives
concerning specific requirements for acertain number ofagents . In
addition itsets upaTechnical Committee for the adaptation ofanumber
oftechnical provisions ofthe Directive .
2.Observations oncertain specific aspects ofthe proposal for a
Directive
Article 1sets out the objectives ofthe proposal which are two­
fold :toeliminate orlimit exposure tochemical ,physical and biologi­
cal agents and toprevent risks toworkers' health and safety ?to
protect workers who are likely tobeexposed tothese agents .
Article 2gives thedefinitions which are used inthis proposal .
Article 3requires the Member States totake the appropriate mea­
sures toensure that worker exposure toall agents iskept aslow as
possible .
Article 4requires theMember States toapply anumber ofprovi­
sions for theprotection ofworkers from risks totheir health ,taking
into account the nature ofthe agent ,the intensity ofthe exposure and
themagnitude oftherisk .
Article 5requires theapplication offurther measures bythe
Member States for theagents given inAnnex 1oftheproposal .These
further measures are concerned with :themedical supervision ofwor­
kers ?access tomeasurement results ;theprovision ofinformation and
documentation available atnational and Community levels .
Article 6requires theMember States tomake provisions forworker
participation ,ensure that aworker shall not suffer undue prejudice
through his removal from exposure toagents ,ensure that theapplication
ofthis proposal does not lead toanundue effect outside work .

Article 7makes provision forthedrawing upofindividual Direc­
tives forthose agents listed inAnnex 1oftheproposal .
Article 8makes provision fortheelaboration andadaptation to
technical progress ofanumber oftechnical aspects .
Articles 9and10areconcerned with thesetting upoftheTechni­
cal Committee .
Annex 1tothis proposal gives afirst list ofagents forwhich
individual Directives will bedrawn up.This list isbased ,inparti­
cular ,onthat given inthe actions which canbeundertaken between now
and1982 under theaction programme onSafety andHealth atWork (1),
andontherecommendation oftheAdvisory Committee onSafety fHygiene
andHealth Protection atWork (setupbyCouncil Decision 74/325/EECof
27June 1974 ).
Annex 2tothis proposal specifies thetechnical aspects towhich
theprovisions ofArticle 8apply .
3.Consultation ofthe European Parliament and the Economic and
Social Committee
Under the terms ofArticle 100oftheTreaty establishing the
European Economic Community ,theopinion ofthese two institutions must
besought .

PROPOSAL FOR ACOUNCIL DIRECTIVE ONTHE
PROTECTION OFWORKERS FROM HARMFUL EXPOSURE TO
CHEMICAL ,PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL AGENTS ATWORK
The Council ofthe European Communities ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing the European Economic Communi­
ty,and inparticular Article 100 thereof ,
Having regard tothe proposal from the Commission ,
Having regard tothe Opinion ofthe European Parliament (1),
Having regard tothe Opinion ofthe Economic and Social Committee (2),
Whereas theCouncil Resolution of29June 1978 onanaction programme ol
theEuropean Communities onsafety and health atwork (3)provides for
the harmonization ofprocedures regarding the protection ofworkers wit !-
respect tochemical ,physical and biological agents ;whereas theurgen ;
need toharmonize laws inthis field isrecognized ;whereas efforts
must therefore bemade towards the approximation ,while the improvement
isbeing maintained ,ofthe laws ,regulations and administrative provi­
sions oftheMember States asenvisaged inArticle 117 oftheTreaty ;
Whereas all appropriate measures must betaken toprotect workers from
harmful exposure tochemical ,physical and biological agents atwork ;
whereas differences are revealed byacomparison ofprotective measures
taken byMember States which affect theworker ;whereas ,therefore ,in
the interests ofbalanced economic and social development ,these mea­
sures ,which directly affect the functioning ofthe common market ,
should beharmonized and improved ;whereas this harmonization and
improvement has tobebased oncommon principles ,procedures andguide­
lines ;
1. OJNo
2• OJNo••••••
3. OJNo .C165of .....
of .....
of11July 1978

Whereas theprovisions ofthis Directive constitute theessential re–
quirements toachieve theprotection ofworkers with respect tochemi­
cal ,physical andbiological agents ;
Whereas further individual Directives shall laydown specific require­
ments ,inparticular limit values ,forcertain agents ;
Whereas certain provisions ofthis Directive and the individual Direc­
tives maybere-examined inthelight ofexperience gained andprogress
inthe technical and scientific fields ;
Whereas theAdvisory Committee onSafety ,Hygiene andHealth Protection
atWork setupbyCouncil Decision 74/325/EEC (4)has
been consulted ?
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE
ARTICLE 1
The objectives ofthis Directive are :
toprevent the risks for health and safety ofworkers through eli­
mination orlimitation oftheir exposure atwork tothose chemical ,
physical and biological agents considered harmful tohealth ,
toestablish common principles which must govern theprotection of
workers likely tobeexposed atwork torisks totheir health and
safety from such agents .
ARTICLE 2
For the purposes ofthis Directive
a) "agents "shall refer tochemical ,physical and/orbiological agents
present atwork and likely tobeharmful tohealth .
b) "worker "shall refer toanyperson exposed orlikely tobeexposed
toagents atwork .
c) "limit values "shall refer toexposure limits and/orbiological
indicator limits intheappropriate medium /media depending onthe
agents .
4.OJNo.L185of9July 1974 .

i.
d) "appointed doctor "shall refer tothedoctor responsible for the
medical supervision ofworkers .
ARTICLE 3
Member States shall take appropriate measures toensure that exposure of
workers toagents shall bekept aslow ascan bereasonably achieved .
ARTICLE 4
1.Member States shall ensure that themeasures they establish to
protect workers likely tobeexposed atwork torisks totheir
health from agents shall include :
- prevention atthe technical level ;
- establishment oflimit values which shall not beexceeded ,aivi
ofsampling procedures and measuring methods ;
- collective and personal protection measures ;
- hygiene measures ;
- information forworkers onthepotential risks towhich they
are exposed ,the technical preventive measures taken ,and t.h -
precautions taken bythe employer and tobetaken bythe
worker ;
- use ofwarning and safety signs ;
- medical supervision ;
- keeping updated records ofexposure levels ,lists ofworkers
exposed toagents ,and medical records ;
emergency procedures for abnormal exposures .
2.The application ofeach oftheprovisions ofparagraph 1ofthis
Article shall take into account the nature ofthe agent ,the inten­
sity ofexposure and magnitude ofrisk .
ARTICLE 5
For the agents listed inAnnex 1Member States shall ,inaddition to
those measures laid down inArticles 3and 4,ensure that :
medical supervision ofworkers isprovided prior toexposure ,
periodically thereafter and following theendofexposure ,

4-
- workers shall beprovided with results ofexposure measurements and
group biological tests ;individual workers shall have access to
theresults oftheir ownbiological tests .Toassist them with
theinterpretation oftheresults and tofurther inform them ofthe
potential hazards oftheagents specifically prepared information
anddocumentation atnational and/orCommunity levels shall bemade
available ,
ARTICLE 6
Member States shall ensure that :
Workers and/ortheir representatives shall beinvolved ,
with theelaboration andapplication oftheprovisions
inparagraph 1ofArticle 4and inArticle 5.
Aworker shall not suffer undue prejudice through his removal from
exposure toany ofthe agents .
The application ofthis Directive shall not lead toundue effects
outside the workplace .
ARTICLE 7
1.Further specific requirements ,inparticular limit values ,for
those agents given inAnnex 1shall belaid down inindividual
Directives .
2. Individual Directives shall beallotted aserial number .
ARTICLE 8
Thedetailed elaboration ofthetechnical aspects ,assetout inAnnex
2,
-oftheprovisions ofArticle 4
-oftheequivalent provisions inindividual Directives
andtheir adaptations necessary tokeep inline with technical progress
shall bemade inaccordance with theprocedure ofArticle 10.

5.
ARTICLE 9
1)There ishereby set upaTechnical Committee for the Directive on
theProtection ofWorkers from Harmful Exposure toChemical ,Phy <T-
cal and Biological Agents atwork ,hereinafter called "the Indus­
trial Medicine andHygiene Committee ". Itshall consist of
representatives ofthe Member States with arepresentative ofthe
Commission asChairman .
2)The Industrial Medicine and Hygiene Committee shall draw upits owv
rules ofprocedure .
ARTICLE 10
1.Where theprocedure laid down inthis Article istobefollowed
matters shall bereferred tothe Industrial Medicine and Hygiene
Committee bythe chairman ,either onhis own initiative oratthe
request ofthe representative ofaMember State .
2.The representative oftheCommission shall submit totheCommittee
adraft ofthemeasures tobeadopted .The Industrial Medicine
andHygiene Committee shall deliver itsopinion onthedraft within
atime limit setbytheChairman according totheurgency ofthe
matter .Opinions shall beadopted byamajority of41votes ,the
votes ofMember States being weighted asprovided for inArticle
148(2 )oftheTreaty .TheChairman shall not vote .
3.a)The Commission shall adopt the proposed measures when they are
inaccordance with theopinion ofthe Industrial Medicine and
Hygiene Committee .
b)Where theproposed measures are not inaccordance with the
opinion oftheCommittee ,orifnoopinion isadopted ,the
Commission shall without delay propose totheCouncil the
measures tobeadopted .TheCouncil shall actbyaqualified
majority .
c) If,within three months oftheproposal being submitted toit,
theCouncil hasnotacted ,theproposed measures shall be
adopted bytheCommission .

6.
ARTICLE 11
1.Member States shall brxng into force the laws ,regulations and
administrative provisions necessary tocomply with this Directive
within 18months ofits notification and shall forthwith inform the
Commission thereof .
2.Member States shall communicate totheCommission thetexts ofthe
provisions ofnational lawwhich they adopt inthefield covered by
this Directive .
ARTICLE 12
This Directive isaddressed totheMember States .

ANNEX 1
List ofAgents
Aery lonitr lie
Arsenic and compounds
Asbestos
Benzene
Cadmium andcompounds
Chlorinated solvents : - Carbon tetrachloride
Chloroform
Paradichlorobenzene
1,1 ,1-Trichloroethane
Trichloroe thylene
Lead and compounds
Mercury andcompounds
Nickel and compounds
Noise

ANNEX 2
Technical aspects
sampling procedures andmeasuring methods (including quality con­
trol )with respect tothelimit values ;
- theprocedures formedical supervision prior to,during andafter
the end ofexposure ;
- procedures regarding theestablishment andthekeeping ofrecords
concerning :ambient andpersonal measurement results ,lists of
exposed workers ,andresults ofmedical supervision ;
emergency measures ,including the instruction ofworkers ,and
provisions forwarning signs atworkplaces where abnormal exposure .-
toagents are likely tooccur ;
- collective and personal protection measures forcertain operations
(e.g. servicing and repairs )during which itcannot beguaranteed
that concentrations orintensities ofthe agents will bekept below
the limit values ;
procedures regarding personal and general hygiene requirements ;
signs toidentify areas where significant exposure islikely to
occur and toindicate the precautions which have tobetaken .