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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)522
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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(78)522 final
Brasbola,20October 197"
SECOND PROGRESS REPORT
OPTHEADVISORY COMMITTEE ON
SAFETY,HYGIENE ANDHEALTHPROTECTION ATWORK
(Period :1977 )
/Orvf\ >AV .'V-Ji\
j}-;" jj
COM(78)522final

-1-
CONTENTS
page
0.INTRODUCTION 2
1.MEMBERSHIP 3
2.STRUCTURE ANDOPERATION k
3.MEETINGS 5
k,ACTIVITIES OFTHECOMMITTEE 7
k.0General matters 7
k,1Action Programme 7
4-.2Provision ofinformation tothe Committee . 8
k.3Internal problems 8
k.kVinyl choride monomer 9
k.5Classification ,packaging andlabelling of
dangerous substances ...... 10
k,6Asbestos 10'
*f.7Provision ofsafety signs atplaces ofwork . 11
4.8Supervision ofcertain industrial activities
inrespect ofaccident risks 11
9Participating bodies 12
k.10Agricultural Safety Week 13
11European Seminar onAlcoholism 13
k,12European Workshop onoccupational health
services 13
k.13Studies ik
5.ACTIVITIES OFTHE WORKING PARTIES 1*
6.ACTIVITIES OFTHE 'RESTRICTED GROUP 1 15
7.SECRETARIAT 16
8.CONCLUSIONS 16
Annexes :1.List ofthe members ofthe Committee and
~~~ theworking parties 17
2*Action programme oftheEuropean
Communities inthe field ofsafety and
health protection atwork 23
3*Resolution 36

INTRODUCTION
Article 3oftheCouncil Decision of27June 197^on
thesetting upofanAdvisory Committee onSafety ,
Hygiene andHealth Protection atWork provides that
•theCommittee shall produce anannual report onits
activities *and 'the Commission shall forward that
report totheEuropean Parliament ,theCouncil ,the
Economic and Social Committee and the Consultative
Committee oftheEuropean Coal and Steel Community 1.
The second progress report was compiled bythe
Secretariat and approved bytheCommittee on 20
April 1978 .

MEMBERSHIP OFTHE COMMITTEE AND THE V/ORKING PARTIES
During 1977 several members were replaced ;thefollowing
table shows their distribution :
BE DA DE FR
!IR!T LU NL UK
Full members of
the Committee ° 1 0 0 |1 0 0
i1 1
Alternate members
ofthe Committee 0 0 2 2 0 0 0
Ii
1 1
Members ofWorking
Party I 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1
Members ofWorking
Party II 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Members ofWorking
Party III O 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total per country 0
i1 2 2 0
l
!0 3k
Overall total 16
Themembership oftheCommittee and ofits three working parties
has thus remained relatively stable *
Alist ofmembers oftheCommittee and its three working parties
asat31December 1977 isgiven inAnnex 1.

STRUCTURE AND OPERATION
2.0 InOctober 1977 a'restricted group' wasprovisionally
setup (seeItens^.3 and6).Thethree working
parties already inexistence since 1975 »were
maintained .
2.1 After thedeparture oftheChairman ofWorking Party
II(research )attheendof1976 ,andbearing inmind
thepossible review ofits structure ,theCommittee
made thefollowing temporary appointments inWorking
Party IIinApril 1977 :
Chairman :Mrden Boer
Vice-chairmen :MrGuillon and MrNeild
2.2 Toensure good liaison and cooperation with the
European Foundation for theImprovement ofLiving
andWorking Conditions ,theCommittee decided to
allow anobserver from this Foundation toattend its
meetings .
2.3 TheCommittee confirmed that itwished toadopt
essentially 'political' attitudes (drafting opinions ,
requests orguidelines ),while leaving thetechnical
and/orlegal work more totheSecretariat (seeItem 7)
and the departments oftheCommission .
2.4 -Attendance atthemeetings oftheCommittee remained
very high ;working party meetings were less well
attended .

MEETINGS
3.0 In1977 tenmeetings were held asfollows :
Committee 2meetings :19 a 2meetings :19and 20April 1977
25.26and27October 1977
Working Party I
(Consultation on
problems and
requirements of
accident and disease
prevention )
Working Party II
(Coordination and
promotion ofresearch into
accident and disease
prevention )kmeetings :
Working Party III
(Participation ofboth
sides ofindustry in
accident and disease
prevention )
Chairmen and vice -
chairmen ofthe i
working parties orthe
•restricted group *2meetings :
2meetings :February 1977
21March 1977
6and7July 1977
7and 8November 1977
26and 27April 1977
6and 7September 1977
2hand 25May 1977
21December 1977
Total 10meetings in1977

-6-
3*1 Figures onthenumber ofmeetings and thenumber ofdays
devoted tomeetings over three years .
Number ofmeetings
-Committee
-Working Party I
-Working Party II
-Working Party III
-'Restricted Group *or
chairmen and vice-chairmen
ofthe working parties
Total1977 197b 1975 (6months )
2
h
o
22
2
1
01
1
1
1
10
Number ofdays devoted tomeetings
-Committee
-Working Party I
-Working Party II
-Working Party III
-Restricted Group *or
chairmen and vice-chairmen
oftheworking parties1977 1976 1975 (6months )
5
6
0
k5
2
1
02
1
1
1
Total 18
The frequency ofmeetings hasincreased but isstill lower than
required .

ACTIVITIES OFTHE COMMITTEE
4.0 General matters
In1977 theCommittee ,attheCommission 'srequest oron
itsown initiative ,dealt with adozen orsosubjects ,
which isavery considerable increase over theprevious
year .These subjects may begrouped asfollows :
-problems ofstructure and operation ;
-examination ,ofdirectives and other Community
instruments ;
-attendance atlarge-scale Community meetings or
events ;these are dealt with indetail below .
4.1 Action Projpramme_o_f theEuro£ean_Communities onHealth
andSafety_at Work
4.1.0 TheCommittee wasregularly informed ofthe
progress of "this programme atCommission level .
4.1.1 Recalling that thegeneral aims andguidelines
oftheprogramme hadbeen discussed and approved
inOctober 1976 ,theCommittee expressed regret
atthedelay inactually implementing the
programme and stressed theneed for itsadoption
bytheCommission and theCouncil asquickly as
possible .Adelegation ofCommittee members
representing workers approached theCommission
directly on .this point .
4.1.2 With regard totheimplementation ofthis programme ,
theCommittee proposed that itshould :
-establish priori-ties forgiven periods ;
-possibly review its structure inthelight ofthe
programme ,assoon asthelatter was approved by
the Council .
4.1.3 TheAction Programme wasapproved bytheCommission
on9December 1977 and forwarded totheCouncil on
15December 1977 ;itisgiven inAnnex 2.

Provision £f_information_t£ the_Committee
Following preparatory work carried outatameeting ofthe
Commission departments and thechairmen andvice-chairmen ofthe
working parties (seeItem 6),theCommittee wasgiven the
assurance that theCommission would institute aprocedure to
ensure that theCommittee received regular andtimely information
onalltheCommission 'sactivities concerning health andsafety
atwork .
This information procedure applies particularly tocertain
activities covered bythefollowing :
-the general programme for the elimination oftechnical
barriers totrade :
-the environment programme :
-the joint committees ;
-theEuropean Foundation for theImprovement ofLiving and
Working Conditions .
Inte£nal_problem,s
4.3*0 TheCommittee dealt with several internal problems ,
namely :
-theextension ofitsSecretariat (seeItem 7);
•itsownoperation (seeItems 2.4.2 and6.1).
4.3.1 InOctober 1977 theCommittee provisionally setupa
'restricted group' .
The chairmen and vice-chairmen ofthe three existing
working parties make uptheprovisional membership of
restricted group ;itsChairman isDrRecht ,and Mr
Bauer andMrGoeminne are incharge ofthe
Secretariat .

-9-
For atrial period ,therestricted group must beconsidered asa
body responsible forliaison (inparticular with thefour relevant
Commission departments ),preparation oftheCommittee 'swork and
«
distribution ofdocuments (receiving all information anddocumentation
and forwarding totheCommittee any material falling within its
competence ).Therestricted group isessentially anadministrative
body with nopolitical powers ;itdoes not draft opinions nor take
decisions binding onthe Committee .
Therestricted group v/ill meet fairly frequently and will forward to
theCommittee alist ofall the documents and subjects which have
been referred toit,with explanatory comments where necessary .
k.k Proposal foraCouncil Directive onvinyl chloride monomer
k.k.O InApril 1977 theCommittee delivered anopinion onthis propos
foraDirective (OJNoC291 |10December 1976 ).
Inparticular itstressed the need for the following :
-tomake linguistic and legal improvements tothe draft ;
-tokeep -theprocessing ofVCMoutofthis directive ;
-toaim atzero exposure ;
-toobtain theopinion ofthe competent authorities when
new plants are constructed ;
-tostipulate that themeasuring points should bechosen
only after consultation ;
-toprovide for anexposure limit todetermine the
level atwhich technical and individual measures must
betaken ;
-toinform theworkers fully ;
-toconsult theCommittee intime concerning any review
ofthe directive .
There was disagreement with regard to:
-thenumber ofppm/TLV tobeadopted ;
-thelength ofthereference period for calculating
average exposure .

-10 -
h.H.1 After theCommission issued amendments tothis proposal
.foraDirective (OJNoC219 ,14September 1977 )-
especially inorder totake account oftherequests made
bytheEuropean Parliament and theEconomic and Social
Committee -v/ithregard mainly tothenumber ofpprr./TLV
and thereference period ofoneyear ,theamendments
were referred totheCommittee ,which once again
delivered adivided opinion onthese points .
h.5Proposal for aCouncil Directive onthesixth modification of
theCouncil Directive of27June 19&7 ontheapproximation of
the laws ofMember States relating tothe classification ,
packaging andlabelling ofdangerous substances (OJNo260,
3November 1976 )
The Committee was informed attwomeetings oftheprogress of
thediscussions intheCouncil onthis proposed Directive ;
theCommittee provided theCommission departments concerned with
several items ofinformation toassist them intheir discussions
with the Council .
*♦.6 Asbestos
'f.6.0 TheCommittee received adetailed summary of:
-theCommission 'swork onasbestos ;
-thepresent state ofknowledge oftheproblems
created byasbestos inthe field ofoccupational health
and the effects ofasbestos onworkers' health ;
-national regulations onasbestos .
Jf.6.1 Adraft Resolution oftheCouncil oftheEuropean
Communities concerning guidelines for anaction pro~rar.r.e
toreduce the risks tohuman health from asbestos was
forwarded tothe Committee .This document was the work
ofseveral Commission departments .

11 -
The Committee welcomed this draft Resolution asa
framework foraction and drew upanumber ofrequests
concerning themain emphases andpriorities envisaged
bytheCommission .
4.6.2 Following theactivities referred toinItem 4.6.0 and
4.6.1 ,theCommittee instructed Working Party I
-togive further consideration totheabove draft
Resolution ,especially tothose sections dealing
with safety and health atwork ;
-toexamine ,indue course ,the draft Directive which
was being prepared with aview torestricting the
use ofasbestos and topreventing any harmful effects
onthe health ofworkers .
4.6.3 .Inaddition totheactivities already mentioned ,
Working Group Imade considerable progress indrawing
upadraft opinion stating theoverall views
oftheCommittee with regard toasbestos .This opinion
can beused for .reference whenever the Commission draws
up,under theResolution mentioned inItem 4.6.1 ,any
specific legal text dealing with health protection at
work .
4.7 Directive on_safet ^_si_gns at_places £f_work (0J_No_L_299
7September 1977 )
Since itwas aware that thecommittee responsible foradapting
this Directive totechnical progress (Articles 4,5and 6)was
being setup,theCommittee asked tobeconsulted before anysuch
adaptation wasmade .
4*8 DraftDirective onthesuper vision ofcertain Industrial activities
inrespect ofaccident risks
TheCommittee wasinformed ofthis_draft ,onwhich preparatory work
wasbeing done atinter-departmental level .

12
TheCommittee instructed itsWorking Party Itoexamine this
draft when ithadreached asufficiently advanced stage .
4.9.Participat ionof_both sides of_industr£ inoccupational
accident anddisease prevention
4.9.0 TheCommittee took note ofthecomparative study onthe
organizations concerned with safety and health
protection atwork involving participation byboth sides
ofindustry ,which hadbeen drawn upbyWorking Party III .
Since this study will serve asbasic documentation for
any future measures inthis field ,theCommittee instructed
Working Party III toconsider whether there was anyneed
for ittobeupdated inthe short orlong term .
4.9.1 TheCommittee examined theproposals drawn upbyWorking
Party III tolay down the content ofaCommunity
instrument for thesetting upand running ofaccident
and disease prevention bodies involving theparticipation
ofboth sides "ofindustry atnational interprofessional
level insectors ofindustry and inundertakings .
After unanimously agreeing onanumber ofpoints ,the
Committee was faced with differences ofopinion between
theworkers' and employers' representatives ,particularly
with regard to
-the size ofundertakings inwhich asafety committee
orsafety delegates should becompulsory ;
-therange ofresponsibilities tobegiven tosuch
committees and/ordelegates .
Inview ofthis situation ,theCommittee instructed
Working Party III tocontinue itswork ,taking into
account thedifferences ofopinion expressed during
the first discussion oftheworking document .

-13 -
10Euro£ean_Agr i^cul_turalSafety__Week
Since itwas given rather late notice ofthis Safety Week
organized byall theMember States incooperation with the
Commission andheld from 2to8May1977 »theCommittee
expressed thehope that itwould beinformed assoon as
possible ifanother event ofthis kind were organized in
future .
4.11 Euro£ean_Seminar_on Alcoholism
TheCommission informed theCommittee oftheEuropean
Seminar onAlcoholism ,which took place inLuxembourg on .
15-1?November 1977 *The Committee expressed the opinion
that :
-alcoholism should beregarded asageneral social and
medical problem and not asanindustrial problem ;
-thelinks between alcoholism andwork (worker ,working
environment orindustrial medicine )should not betaken
asthemajor topic for this kind ofseminar ,theaim of
which should begeneral .
The title ofthe Seminar was amended asfollows :
1onthe medico-social risks ofexcessive alcohol
consumption *
4.12 Worksh£p_on £C£uj )aJ:i£nal_health services
Some members oftherestricted group and the doctors inthe
Committee were invited toattend this Workshop ,which took
place onZk-25November 1977 andwasorganized with the
help oftheCommission bytheIndustrial Medicine Section of
theStanding Committee ofDoctors oftheEEC .
TheCommittee was interested inthis Workshop because it
concerned one ofthe questions dealt with intheAction
Programme ,i.e. revision oftheCommission Recommendation
onindustrial medical services .

-14 -
Furthermore ,theWorkshop was thestarting point fora
dialogue between theCommission ,theAdvisory Committee and
theStanding Committee ofDoctors ofthe EEC .
4.13 Studies
The Committee was informed ofthe studies which theCommission
wascurrently carrying outand thesubjects ofwhich were
covered bythedraft Action Programme .In1977 ,these studies .
dealt chiefly with thefollowing :
-safety training formanagement andexecutives ;
-machine noise inthetextile industry ;
-theuse oftelevision and radio intheprevention of
occupational hazards ;
-the legal basis and practical operation ofindustrial
safety services .
*5.ACTIVITIES OFTHE WORKING PARTIES
The working parties drew updocuments for the Committee onanumber
ofsubjects and stated anumber ofopinions ;theactivities were
distributed asfollows :
5.0 Working Part^wasresponsible for
-closely following theprogress oftheAction Programme ,the
problems concerning theSecretariat and the information
procedure drawn upbytherestricted group ;
-drawing uptheopinion onvinyl chloride monomer and
organizing ,with thehelp ofexperts especially invited by
theCommission ,aninternal information session onthe
problems involved inmeasuring this substance ;
-studying thenational regulations onasbestos anddrawing
uppreliminary opinions and anoverall opinion onasbestos ;

-15 -
5.1 Workmg Partir II
The Working Party did notmeet in1977 .Inorder to
fulfil themandate given toitin1976 bytheCommittee ,
the Working Party needed alist ofrecent research .
However ,theCommission departments ,inagreement with
theChairman oftheWorking Party ,chose not tocarry out
this work themselves but touse aninternational list on
thesubject which was being prepared byasafety institute
inone ofthe Member States .
This 'world *list istobeprovided with a'European'
index ,which will beavailable totheWorking Party at
thebeginning of1978 .
5.2 Working Part^III _wasresponsible for
-carrying out acomparative study ontheorganizations
concerned with safety and health protection atwork
involving participation byboth sides ofindustry ;
-drawing upproposals with aview tothe setting up
and running ofaccident and disease prevention bodies
involving theparticipation ofboth sides ofindustry
atnational interprofessional level insectors of
industry and inundertakings .
ACTIVITIES OFTHE 'RESTRICTED GROUP '
6.0 Themeeting ofthechairmen andvice-chairmen ofthe
working parties inMay 1977
-drew upthe procedure for informing the Committee
mentioned inItem *+.2;
-decided tosetupthe 'restricted group' (seeItem
>.3.1).
6.1 InDecember 1977 the'restricted group' met tobegin
itsexamination oftheproblems involving structure
andoperation which already existed orwhich might
arise when theAction Programme was put into effect .

-16-
7.SECRETARIAT
InApril1977theCommittee unanimously adoptedaResolution
firmlyreiterating itsrequesttotheCommission thatthe
*
Secretariat beadequately staffedtoenabletheCommittee to
operatenormally .ThisResolution isgiveninAnnex3.The
approach madetotheCommission byadelegation ofthose
membersrepresenting workers,mentioned inItem4.1,also
concerned theoperation oftheCommittee 'sSecretariat ,which
in1977wasmadeupof2gradeAofficials and1gradeC
employee .
8.CONCLUSIONS
Theactivities oftheCommittee andtheworkingpartiesincreased in1977.
Asindicated in3.1.thenumberofmeetings rosefrom6in1976to10in
1977andthenumberofdaystakenupbythesemeetingsrosefrom9in1976
to18.
Despitethisgratifying increaseinactivity (v;hichcanbeattributed tosc:r,e
extenttothefactthattheSecretariat hadadditional staffforanumberof
months)theconditions whichtheCommittee andtheworkingpartiesneedin
ordertofunction normally arestillfarfrombeingmet.
Thisisallthemoreunfortunate inthatnextyearwillcertainly seea
greatincrease inactivityafterthattheCommunities *actionprogramme
(4*1*)hasbeenapprovedbytheCouncil.
Iftheseactivities cannotbeadequately performed bytheCommittee andthe
workingparties,thiscouldcreateconsiderable tensions amongthegrouping
represented ontheCommittee andcouldcausetheveryexistence oftheCo.-juit-
teeanditstakstobecalledintoquestion .
Theresolution inAnnex3shouldbeunderstood inthislight.

Bilag1
Appendix 1
Allegato 1Anlage1
Annexe 1
Bijlage 1
KEDLTJÎ'.I'ÎCR
MITGLIEDER
MEMBERS
liEKBlïJS
ME:03HI
LE1EH
31.12,1977
1«Factomedlemmcr
Titulaire :;Mitglieder
MembrititolariFiillîîieiribers
Loden
2=Suppléant orne
SuppléanteStellvcrtretcr
KernbricupplentiAlternate members
Plaatsvervangers
A-Repraesentantcr forregeringen
Regierungi;vortreter
Representatives ofthoGovernment
Représcntants dugouverncment
Rapprescntanti delgoverno
Yertegenv.'oordigers vandeRegering
B«Repraesentantcr forarbejdstagernes fagligeorganisationer
Yertreter derArbeitnchrrierorganisationen
Representatives oftrådeunions
Representants desorganications syndicalcs detravailleurs
Rappresentanti delleorganizzazioni sindacali deilavoratori
Vcrtegenv.'oordigers vandeorganisaties vanv.-erkneraers
CcRepraesentantcr foi*arbejdsgivernes fagligeorganisationer
Yertreter derArbeitgeberorganisationen
Representatives ofernployers' organizations
Représentants desorganisations syndicales d'employeurs
Rappresentantidelleorganizzazioni sindacali deidatoridilavoro
Yertegenv.-oordigers vandeorganisaties vanv:erkgevers

-18-
UDVALG
AUSSCHUSS
COKMITTEE
COMITE
COMITATO
COMITE
1 2
AIBENSG. . PAQUEH.
A DENONNE L. MEDAETSJ. I
BELGIQUE Β SAUVAGE G. SILONP.
BELGIE Β ΤΗΓΗΕΑ. COLLEA.
C VANGAEVER C» CLOQUET L.
C CORDÏA.LEONARDR. j
A SÂXILD W. TOPTA.
A JENSENG. BLOUJ.
DANMARKΒ DHEWSEN B. NIELSEN B.
Β CHRISTEHSEN B. ELIKOFER J.
C KAHRS. STENBJERRE J. I
C RASMUSSEN L.'HOLMK.
IAIKLIESCH G. OPFERMANN R.
A WAGNER R* WOLFFH.
BUNDESREPUBLIKKONSTANTÏ R. EEENAPPEL W. I Β
|DEUTSCHLAND SGHUPETA E. Β PARTIKEL H.
c MEÏERT. WINCKLER R.
C
. ._ .ORTLEPP H.BISCHOFFH.
1AILAMIRAND PASTÏ
A COURSAUT-DURAND CORVAISIER I
FRANCEΒ ATLANM.ROUXELR. j
Β GUILLONP. GAISNEA.
C CAVEJ. FREDERIC-MOREAU P.
1
C.jTASSINJ.PELAGEM.J

-19-
• II ! II £
A KENNEDY M. MORRISON N.
A CASHELL M, 0»BRIEN J.
IRELANDΒ CASSELLS P. .O1HALLO RAN M.
Β DALY D. KEATING P.
c RICE A. DOHERTÏ J.
C CLARKE R.CASSIDY M.
nA FHEDELLA A. GUERRIERI M.
* PIORE N. PIORENTINO P.
MALIAΒ TRICARICO M. ROTA L.
Β FERIOLI G. ROCCHI M.
C BIOCCA M. PALLADINO S.
C BUSSETTI E.PACIA.
A SCHUSTER A. MOUSEL J.
A NOESEN R. DEMUTH J.
LUXEMBOURGΒ RECH L. DUNKEL H.
Β MIRKES A. KLEIN M. ■
C SCHMIT E. . BERWEILER J.
LC MATHGEN T.BEFFORT R.
A WINK A. ROOYAKKERS-BEEMSTER T.
A TINGA E. RIKKENSPOEL I.
INEIERLANDΒ HOGENES J. SCHMITZ H.
Β EEBRUIN A. VAN TOL J.
c DEN BOER A. DEQUANT W.
C VAN GORKOM J.KORTEN M.
A MARTIN A. BARGER P. ]
a NEILD F. BLACKADDER E.
UNITED KINGDOMΒ JACQUES P. HAMILTON J.
Β LLOID G. PARRY T.
c BRADBURY P. ROBSON V.
C I COBB M.HANLEY A. j

Arbejdsgruppen I
Arbeitsgruppe I
WorkingPartyI
CroupedetravailI
GruppodilavoroI
Werkgroep I.
Drøftelse afproblemer ogforskrifter iforbindelse medforebyggelse
Konzertierung uberProbleme undVorschriften aufdemGebietderUnfallverhutung
Consultation onproblems andrequirements ofprevention
Concertation surdesproblémes etdesprescriptions deprévention
Concertazione suproblemi enormediprevenzione
Overlegoverpreventieproblemen en-voorschriften
A Β C
Belgique
BelgiëBENSG. SILONP.(*) CORBYA.
Danmark SAXILD W. ELIKOFER J. HOLMK.
Bundesrepublik
DeutschlandHORHEFFER K. PARTIKEL H. ROBOCKK.
France JANIN LEVYJ. CAVEJ. ..
Ireland DALYD. CLARKEG.(**)
Italia PIOREN.(**) FERIOLE G. BUSSETTI E.
Luxembourg SCHUSTER A. DUNKELE.
Hederland RIKKENSPOEL I. SCHMITZ H. DENBOERA.
UnitedKingdom WOODCOCK P. JACQUESP. COBBM.
(*)Président
(**)Vice-président

-21-
Arbejdsgruppen II
Arbeitsgruppe II
Working Party II
Croupe detravail II.
Gruppo dilavoro II
Werkgroep II
Koordinering ogfremme afforskningen inden forforebyggelse
Koordinierung undFörderung derUnfallverhütungsforschung
Coordination andpromotion ofresearch into prevention
Coordination etpromotion delarecherche enmatière deprévention
Coordinamento epromozione della ricerca inmateria diprevenzione
Coördinatie enbevordering vanhetonderzoek ophetgebied vandeongevallen -
preventie
A Β C
Belgique
België 'NUYTS R. SAUVAGE G. CORBI A.
Danmark JENSEN G. TJ^RNEH^J ESKESEN 0.
Bundesrepublik
Deutschland1IAGENKÔTTER M. KIENAPPEL W. BASTONG K.
'•...France .DARMON H. GUILLON P.(**)
Ireland O'HALLORAN M.
Italia PREDELLA A. TRICARÏCO M. RIMA A.
Luxembourg SCHUSTER A.
Nederland VAR TOL J. DENBOER A.(*)
United Kingdora NEILD F.(**) OWEN R.
1
(*) Président
(**) Vice-président

22-
Arbejdsgruppen III
Arbeitsgruppe III
WorkingPartyIII
GroupedetravailIII
GruppodilavoroIII
Werkgroep III
Arbejdsmarkedets partersdeltagelse iforebyggelse
Betciligung derSozialpartner anderUnfallverhiitung
Participation ofbothsidesofindustrie inprevention
Participation despartenaires sociauxàlaprévention
Partecipazione dellepartisocialiallaprevenzione
Inschakeling vandeSocialepartnersbijdeongevallenpreventie
A Β C
Belgicjue
BelgieTEYREA. •VANGAEVERC.
Danmark ELIKOFER J. HOLMK.
Bundesrepublik
DeutschlandKONSTÀNTY R. VONHASSELLJ.
France CHAVROT L. TASSINJ.(**)
Ireland CASSELLSP.(*) RICEP.
Italia ROCCHI H. PASI1IIL.
Ltixembourg RECHL. MARGUE G.
Nederland DEBRUINA. VANGORKOMJ.
UnitedKingdom LLOYDG. COBBM.
(*)Président
(**)Vice-président

-23- Appendix 2
DraftCouncilresolutiononaCommunity actionprogramme onsafety
andhealthatwork
(Submitted bytheCommission totheCouncilon15December 1977)
THECOUNCJL OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatiesestablishing the
EuropeanCommunities ,
HavingregardtothedraftfromtheCommission ,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropean
Parliament ,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomic and
SocialCommittee ,
WhereastheCouncilresolutionof21January1974
onasocialactionprogramme ('),envisagesthesetting
upofanactionprogramme onsafetyandhealthat
work;
Whereas,inparticular ,underArticle2oftheTreaty
establishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,the
Community shallhaveasaparticular taskto
promotethroughout theCommunity aharmonious
development ofeconomicactivities,acontinuous and
balancedexpansionandanaccelerated raisingofthe
Standardofliving,whichentailssuitablehealth
protection forthegeneralpublicandtheeffective
prevention ofrisksatwork;
WhereasunderArticles117and118ofthesaid
TreatytheMemberStatesagreeupontheneedto
promoteimproved workingconditions andan
improvedstandardoflivingforworkerssoasto
P)OJNoC13,12.2.1974,p.1.makepossibletheirharmonization whilethe
improvement isbeingmaintained andthatboththe
prevention ofoccupational accidentsanddiseasesand
healthconditipns atworkareamongtheessential
tasks;
WhereastheheadsofStateorofgovernment ,atthe
conference heldinParisinOctober1972,affirmed
thateconomic expansion shouldresultinan
improvement inthequalityoflifeaswellasinthe
standardofliving;
Whereasthelargenumberofpeoplekilled,injured
andsufferingfrominvalidityorsicknessasaresultof
accidentsatworkoroccupational diseasesrepresents
aseriousproblemwhichrequiresconstantattention ;.
Whereasconsiderable effortisneededatCommunity
leveltopreservethehumancapitalrepresented by
theCommunity workforce andtoendeavour to
implement suitablemeanstomaintainorcreatea
workingenvironment tailoredtotheneedsofman
havingregardtohisrightfuljobaspirations ;
Whereasthiseffortrequiresnotonlyastrengthening
ofthecollaboration betweenMemberStatesandthe
Commission butalsotheincreasing participation of
management andlabourindecisionsandactionin
thefieldofsafety,hygieneandhealthprotection at
workatalllevels,particularly atthelevelofthe
undertaking ;
Whereastheimprovement ofwoncmgkunditions and
theworkingenvironment mustbeenvisaged ona
globalbasisandmustconcernallsectorsofthe
economy ;

•24
WhereastheAdvisoryCommittee onSafety,Hygiene
andHealthProtection atWork,setupbytheCouncil
Decisionof27June1974('),shouldbeassociated
withthissphereofaction,
(»)OJNoL185,9.7.1974,p.15.Approvestheactionprogramme annexedhereto;
NotesthattheCommission willpresent,withinthe.
contextoftheactionsdescribed intheprogramme
andinaccordance withthetimescheduleand
prioritiessetouttherein,suitableproposalsforthe
successfulimplementation oftheprogramme .
ACTION PROGRAMME OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
ONHEALTH ANDSAFETYATWORK
Introduction
Ahighpercentage ofthepopulation ofthenine
MemberStatesisexposedtovaryingdegreesofmany
andwidelydivergentoccupational riskswhichcould
threaten theirhealthandpersonal safety.
Occupational pathology ishabitually concerned with
accidentsanddiseasesresulting fromwork,'the
prevention ordiagnosis ofwhichhavebeenthe
subjectofactionwithintheCommunity forseveral
years,andtheharmfuleffectsofwhicharcpartlyor
totallycompensated throughvariousschemes.
DespitetheeffortsmadeintheMemberStatesofthe
Community ,thenumberofaccidentsanddiseases
resultingfromworkremainshigh.Quiteapartfrom
theirfinancialimportance ,thehumanandsocial
consequences ofoccupational accidentsanddiseases
areincalculable ,sinceitisnoteasytoassessthe
psychological damagedoneortotakeintoaccount
thelong-term factorsconnected withaccidentsand
disease.Thusthereisgoodreasontobelievethatthe
totalsocialandfinancial costofoccupational
accidents anddiseasesisfaPgreaterthanthe
quantitative estimatesatourdisposalsuggest.
Moderntechnology usesincreasingly advanced
professeswhichpresentnewdangers.Theyproduce
orusechemicalsubstances whichareinadequately
testedfortheirharmfuleffectsonman.AHchemical,
physical,mechanical andbiological agentsandthe
psychosocial factorsconnected withworkmustbe
readilyrecognizable andbroughtundercontrolor
eliminated bysuitablemeanssoastoavoidany
damagetohealthorasignificant reductioninsafety.
Theprevention ,limitation and,wherepossible,
elimination ofoccupational risksconstitute majorelementsofapolicytoprotectthehealthandsafety
oftheworkers.
Ofcourse,theMemberStateshavealongtradition
intheorganization ofindustrialsafetyandhealthbut
theymustalsoagreetoshoulderajointprogramme
ofpositiveandeffectiveactionstoimprovethe
conditionsunderwhichmanperformshisjobanddo
everything possibletoensurehiswell-being and
guarantee thequalityofhisworkingenvironment .
Inordertoimplement suchaprogramme ,itis
necessarynotonlytoharmonize ideasandbasic
principles,butalsotoplanandguidetechnical
progressandtheorganization ofworkinsuchaway
astotakeaccountoftherequirement ofhealthand
safety.
Inviewofthepersistinggravityoftheproblem,the
Commission mustinitiate,promoteanddevelopa
commonpreventive policywithregardtoall
occupational risks,especially byobtainingfresh
knowledge ,byencouraging cooperation and
coordination andbydeveloping appropriate actions
atdifferentlevelsofresponsibility orcompctance
Inadditiontopromoting exchanges andthe
improvement ofreciprocal information ,sucha
programme shouldaimtopersuaderesponsible
authorities intheMemberStatesandthesocial
partnerstojoinforcesagainstrisksofallkindswhich
theworkenvironment bringstobearonthehealth
andsafetyofworkersandonsocietyatlarge.
Thepresentprogramme taKesaccountofthe
guidelinesproposedbytheCommission andof
severalstudiesmadeandconsultations heldoverthe
pasttwoyears.Italsotakesintoconsideration the
experiencegainedbytheCommission inthecoaland
steelindustriesandthenuclearfieldwhere,underthe

-25-
termsoftheECSCandEuratomTreaties,research
programmes andworkonharmonization and
standardization inaccidentanddiseaseprevention
andprotection withregardtospecificrisksinthese
threesectorshavebeencarriedoutformanyyears.
Thisprogrammedoesnoteffectotherprogrammes
suchasthosefortheelimination oftechnicalbarriers
totradeandfortheprotection oftheenvironment .In
proposing specificactionswithintheframework ofthisprogramme ,theworkundertaken byother
researchprogrammes ,notablyintheenvironmental
fieldwillbetakenintoaccount,sothatmaximum
coordination isensured.
Someactioncouldbetakenincollaboration or
conjunction withotherorganizations ,suchasthe
EuropeanFoundation fortheImprovement ofLiving
andWorkingConditions andtheEuropean Centre
fortheDevelopment ofVocational Training .
LGeneralobjectivesoftheactionprogramme onsafetyandhealth
Themainaimoftheprogramme istoincreasethe
levelofprotection againstoccupational risksofall
typesbyincreasing theefficiency ofmeasuresfor
preventing ,monitoring andcontrolling theserisks.
Oneoftheprimary conditions forthe
implementation ofsuchaprogramme isthefull
participation ofboihsidesofindustryinpreventive
andprotective measures .
Eachoftheactionsproposed intheprogramme must
beseenasanelementcontributing tothebetter
organization ofpreventive andprotective measures
forworkersandtoclosercollaboration betweenthe
socialpartnerstowardsthatend.Furthermore ,in
ordertotakeaccountoftheexperience obtainedby
international organizations andtoavoidduplication
ofeffortinthesurveysoractionsundertaken ,liaison
betweenMemberStatesmustbeimprovedwitha
viewtoorganizing jointactionininternational
agenciesresponsible foroccupational healthand
safety.
Suchaprogramme shouldmakeitpossibletoachieve
thefollowinggeneralobjectives :
(a)Improvement oftheworkingsituationwitha
viewtoincreasedsafetyandwithdueregardto
healthrequirements intheorganization ofthe
work.Suchanimprovement shouldcovernot
onlytheexistingsituationbutalsonewtechnical
developments .Technical progress which
contributes tothecreationofanewworking
situationortotheimprovement ofanexisting
situationisnotalwaysconceived anddirectedin
linewiththedictatesofsafetyandhealth;where
machinery ,premisesandplantareconcerned,safetyaspectsshouldbeconsidered atthedesign
stageandintegrated intothesubsequent stages
oftheirproduction andcommissioning .Due
attentionmustalsobepaidtohealthconsidera­
tionsateverystageintheproduction anduse
ofchemicalsubstances .
Thereisacloselinkbetweenoccupational
accidentanddiseaseprevention ontheonehand,
andtheorganization ofworkandsafetyand
healthtrainingandinformation attheplaceof
workontheother.Thereisanurgentneedto
reviewandredefineamoreeffectiveaccidentand
diseaseprevention strategyinordertoup-date
traditional methods .
Whereisitnotpossibletoeliminateit,exposure
tooccupational risksmustbekepttopermissible
levelsapplicable tooilworkerswithinthe
Community andbasedoncommonconceptsand
references .
Soastomonitormoreeffectively theapplication
ofpreventive measures ,surveillance ofhealthand
workingconditions mustbeintensified ,notably
inlinewiththeexigencies ofoccupational
medicine,hygieneandsafetyappropriate to
present-day conditions .
(b)Improvement ofknowledge inordertoidentify
andassessrisksandperfectprevention and
controlmethods .
Inviewofthecomplexity anddiversityofthe
factorsitembraces,aetiology isaprioritysubject
forresearchandanalysis.Validandcomparable
statisticsmustbepreparedandexistingresearch

-26-
coordinated .Thepromotion ofnewresearchis
anessentialcorollarytoanyCommunity action
inoccupational medicine,hygieneandsafety.
(c)Improvement ofhumanattitudesinorderto
promoteanddevelopsafetyandhealth
consciousness .Alongside thetechnical aspectsofaccident
prevention andhealthprotection ,arealsystem
ofsafetyinstruction andhcalrheducation must
becreated.Thishasyettobeintroduced andwill
betaughtindifferentwaysatthevarious
educational levelsandatthevariouslevelsof
responsibility andactionwithinundertakings .
ELDescription oftheinitiativestobetakenatCommunity level
Attainment ofthegeneralobjectives requiresmany
initiativesinvolvingvariousscientificdisciplines .Such
initiatives presuppose theeffectiveparticipation of
individuals inmanaging theirownhealthandsafety
andshouldencourage thesocialpartnersandthe
variousprofessional associations andbodiestotakea
moreactivepartintheformulation and
implementation ofapolicyfortheprevention of
dangersattheworkplace .
Thefollowing sixconcreteinitiatives areplanned
withinvarioustimelimitsfortheattainment ofthese
generalobjectives :
1.incorporation ofsafetyaspectsintothevarious
stagesofdesign,production andoperation ;
2.determination ofexposurelimitsforworkerswith
regardtopollutants andharmfulsubstances
presentorlikelytobepresentattheworkplace ;
3.moreextensivemonitoring ofworkers'safetyand
health; ;.
4.accidentanddiseaseaetiologyandassessment of
therisksconnected withwork;
5.coordination andpromotion ofresearchon
occupational safetyandhealth;
6.development ofsafetyandhealthconsciousness by
educationaudtraining.
INITIATIVE 1
Incorporation ofsafetyaspectsintdthevariousstages
ofdesign,production andoperation
Aim
Inordertopromote thisincorporation the
Commission willconsideractionsaimedessentiallyatharmonizing ,fromthesafetypointofview,the
principles anddesignsofworkplaces ,machinery ,
equipment andplantandattheformulation or
coordination ofrulesfortheiruseandguidanceon
theuseofdangerous substances .
Theprincipleofintegrated safetyistodaygenerally
regardedasessentialforallpreventive measuresand
itisreceivingincreasing attentionatnationaland
international level.Inalldecisionswithregardto
undertakings (planning andconstruction ofthe
undertaking ,purchase andoperation ofplant,
organization ofproduction ,workingmethods,etc.)
moreattentionmustbepaidtosafety.Similarly
operational safetyshouldbestudiedinadvancefor
thedesignandmanufacture ofmachinery andtools
soastoguaranteeprotection oftheworker'shealth
asfaraspossible.Asconcernstheproduction and
distribution ofdangerous substances ,the.same
principleshavetobetakenintoaccount.
Theprinciplesofergonomics arenotyetsufficiently
wellappliedinthesearchforbettersafety.In
particular designergonomics whichisalready
widespread intheCommunity hasnotbeen
sufficiently adopted,ascompared withthework
carriedoutintheScandinavian countriesandinthe
UnitedStates.
Theresultsofresearchcarriedoutoverseveralyears
inthecoalandsteelindustries indicatethemeasures
whichshouldbeplannedatCommunity levelin
othersectorsofindustry.
InthisfieldtheCommission isplanningtoproposea
'certainnumberofmeasureswhichwillencourage the
application oftheseprinciplesandwhichcould
progressively formabasisoflegal,regulatoryand
administrative provisionsorofup-to-datetechnical
guidesdrawnupatCommunity levelinorderto
improvethecurrentsituationinmanyindustrialor
agricultural spheres.Thesemeasuresconcernin
particular :

(a)Settingupofundertakings andplanningoflayout
andequipment
TheCommission hasselectedthefollowing
pointsfromamongstthenumerousfactorswhich
mustbetakenintoconsideration :ventilation and
lighting,temperature ,protection againstfalling
fromheightsandagainstfallingheavyobjects,
•protection againstfire,noiseandvibrations ,
gases,vapoursanddusts,designofgeneraland
emergency thoroughfares andlocationofdoors
andwindows .
(b)Organization ofworkwithinundertakings or
betweenseveralundertakings
Thefollowing pointsaretoreceivespecial
attention :equipment andlayoutofworkplaces ,
outdoorworkplaces ,warningsigns,dangerous
jobs,no-accessandlimitedaccessareas,transport
withintheundertaking ,inspections ,maintenance
work,planttesting,coordination ofworkwithin
theundertaking ,coordination oftheworkof
variousdepartments belonging tothesame
undertaking ortodifferentundertakings ,etc.
(c)Manufacture anduseofmachinery,equipment
andtools '',
Thisisthechiefareafortheapplication of
technicalaccidentanddiseaseprevention which
is.ofparamount socialandeconomicimportance .
Inthissectorharmorrtzation measuresrequire
lengthypreparation .Withregardtothe
manufacture ofmachinery andequipment the
•conceptoftheirsafetywasalreadyconsidered in
thegeneralprogramme of28May1969onthe
elimination oftechnicalbarrierstotrade(').
However ,thereexistinherrentdangersintheuse
ofmachinery andequipment andaprocedure
shouldbeintroduced fortheexchange of
experience andinformation sothatsuchdangers
arerecognized andidentified .Furthermore ,since
1969theCouncilhadalreadypointedoutthatit
wouldbepossible,ifnecessary,tolaydownrules
•onusesupplementing Community Directives on
harmonization withregardtothemanufacture
ofmachinery andequipment .Guidelines and
rulesmustbedrawnupwithaviewto
determining appropriate legislation atCom­
munitylevel.
(d)Handling ofdangerous substances and
preparations '
InthisfieldCommunity harmonization action
mustbetakenwithregardtothehandlingof
0)OJNo76,17.6.1969.dangerous substances andpreparations ,witha
viewtoimproving thepracticalorganization of
safety,thatis,handlingattheworkplace ,storage,
markingofcontainers andpipes.Technical and
healthprotection measures,workingrestrictions
andprohibitions ,thenumberofhoursworked
andmedicalprotection measures shouldalso
beharmonized atCommunity level.The
distribution ofdangerous substances (classifica­
tion,identification andpackaging )istakeninto
accountintheprogrammes forthe'elimination
ofthetechnical barriers totrade'and
'environment' .
Contents
Someoftheobjectives setoutabovecanbeachieved
onlyinthemediumandlong-term .Theproblems
willbeselectedforstudyonthebasisofthewishes
expressed orguidancegivenbyrelevantbodieswho
shouldaboveall■bearinmindpractical
considerations andonthebasisofurgentneeds
whichmayarisefromunforeseen dangerous
situations suchasaccidentsordisasters ,orwhich
mayberecognized asaresultoftheacquisition of
freshknowledge ontheeffectsofchemicalsubstances
andtheneedtocontroltheirusewithaviewto
protecting health.
TheCommission planstobeginworkinthisfieldby
studyingthefollowingmatters:
(a)Settingupofundertakings andplanningoflayout
andequipment
1.Organization andlayoutofagricultural
holdings.Thereisreasontoconsiderthat
modernagricultural holdingsshouldmeet
requirements similartothoseimposedupon
industrial enterprises .Sofarthese
requirements havegenerallynotbeentaken
intoaccountinnationalregulations andit
wouldbeappropriate totakethenecessary
stepsatCommunity leyel.
2.Noiseandvibration control.Thisrequires
specialmediumandlong-termattention .The
maintaskconsistsinsettinganoptimum
machine-noise levelonthebasisofhealthdata
andanassessment ofresultsobtainedtodate
byresearchandtheexamination ofpractical
experiments (forexample theuseof
machinery withalow-noise level,whichhas
alreadybeenperfected).Noiseemissionlevels,
designedtotakeaccountespeciallyofthe
practicalproblemsinvolvedinoccupational
protection,willbeestablished afternational

?8-
expertshavebeenconsulted andwillbe
publishedintheformofdirectives .
(b)Organization ofworkwithinundertakings
1.Transport withinundertakings .Internal
transport,particularly thesafeorganization of
generalthoroughfares ,needstobeexamined
andsuitablepracticalinstructions shouldbe
drawnup.Thissectorhasaparticularly high
accidentrate.
2.Safetysignsatworkplaces .CouncilDirective
77/576/EECof25July1977onsafetysignsat
workplaces providesthatthesesignsmustbe
abletokeepupwithtechnicalprogressand
meetrecommendations forharmonization at
international level.
Inthisconnection provision ismadefora
committee tomeetatregularintervals .This
actionwasinitiated in1977andwillbe
continued in1978and1979bymeansof
proposalsfordirectives .
3.Coordination oftheworkofprincipaland
■secondary undertakings .Theinternaland
externalcollaboration ofprincipal and
secondary undertakings (subcontracts )re­
quiresspecialtechnicalexamination fromthe
poinrofviewofsafety.Inpractice–
especially forthecoordination of
collaboration betweenseveralindependent
undertakings–therearemanyproblemsstill
tobesolved.ACommunity examination of
thesequestionsleadingtosuchcoordination
bymeansofsuitablelegalinstruments is
required.
(c)Manufacture anduseofmachinery,equipment
andtools
Inadditiontotheworkcompleted withinthe
■contextoftheelimination oftechnicalbarriersto
tradewhichisconcerned withthedesignand
manufacture ofmachines,equipment andtoolsit
seemsessentialtoexamine intheshortand
medium-term theneedforjointrulesontheuse-
ofthefollowing:agricultural machinery ,lifting
gear,machinery usedinconstruction ,metal
■scaffolding andwoodworking machines.
Depending onthecircumstances andonthe
,resultsofthecollaboration tobeoresnizw!such
ruleswouldtaketheformofgvide'ine *:or
directives .(d)Handling ofdangerous substances and
preparations
Anurgentstudymustbemadeofthehandlingof
dangerous ortoxicsubstances andagreement
reachedoncommonstandards whichwillthen
beproposedtotheMemberStates.Anessentially
practicalapproach isrequiredandattentionwill
initiallybedirectedtowardstheproblemsof
healthprotection connected withtheuseof
pesticidesandherbicides inagriculture .Similar
problemsarisewithotherproducts,e.g.,arsenic,
lead,mercury,cadmium,chrome,nickel,
vegetabledusts,biologicalpollution,etc.
Asinformation isobtainedonthetoxicological
effectofthesesubstances ,asoutlined in
paragraph 5ofInitiative2,practicalguidelines
willbedrawnupforallproductswhichinvolve
handlingproblemsorhealthrisks.
INITIATIVE 2
Determination ofexposurelimitsforworkerswith
regardtopollutants andharmfulsubstances present
orlikelytobepresentattheworkplace
Aim
Withaviewtotheorganization ofdiseaseprevention
andtothemonitoring ofmanyoccupational risksit
isessentialtohavedataonexposure limitsfor
workerswithregardtopollutants andharmful
substances .Itistherefore important forthe
Commission ■toachieve,atCommunity level,
harmonization oftheconcepts,methodologies and
references onthebasisofwhichtheMemberStates
determinetheirpermissible exposurelimits.
Therearealreadystandards forprotection against
radiationatCommunity levelwhichhavebeenin
forcesince1959(Directive )andwhichwererecently
revisedbyaDirectiveissuedinJune1976.Theyare
anexampleofajointhealthpolicyconcerned with
anindustrial riskfacingworkersandthegeneral
publicandbasedonuniformstandardsforthewhole
Community .Thisexampleshouldbeextendedto
otherpollutantspresentattheworkplace .
Moreover thestudiescarriedoutbytheCommission
overthepastfouryearsinparticular inrelationto
theenvironment programme andtheexperierce
acquiredwithregardtocertainenvironmen ;.

–29-
pollutantsnowmakeitpossibletopresentconcrete
proposalsforactionwithregardtocertainspecific
pollutantsaffectingworkplaces inparticular .
Inadditiontotheseshort-term actions,however,the
Commission planstomakeanobjectiveanalysisat
Community leveloftheharmfulorundesirable
effectsofexposure topollutants ingiven
circumstances –takingaccountoftheresults
alreadyobtainedatinternational level,inparticular
bytheWHOandtheILO.Fromthisanalysisitis
proposedtodeducecriteriaofnoxiousness onwhich
tobaseacceptable exposurelimitsforworkers.Such
aprojectwouldcoveralargenumberofsubstances
andwouldbeextendedasindustrialtoxicitystudies
currentlyinprogressarecompleted .
Theprotection ofhumanhealthagainstchemical
substances requires acomplex toxicological
evaluation whichatpresentisincomplete .The
Commission musttakepriorityactionwithregardto
carcinogens ,sinceitisgenerallyacceptedthatahigh
proportion ofhumancanceriscausedbyexternal
factorsincludingchemicalspresentattheworkplace .
Contents
TheCommission isplanningthefollowinginitiatives :
1.Non-ionizing radiationandotherphysicalagents
Withregardtonon-ionizing radiation,proposals
_fordirectiveswillbesubmittedtotheCouncilon
microwaves ,laserradiaticjn,ultra-violet radiation
andultrasound ,onthebasisoftheprocedure
followed forstandards inprotection against
radiation .
2.Harmonization ofexposurelimits
TheCommission plans,attheearliestpossible
opportunity ,tomakeacomparative studyof
existingregulations andrecommendations in
Member Stateswithregardtopermissible
exposurelevelsofworkerstotoxicsubstances or
physicallyharmfulsubstances .
Thevaluesadoptedindifferentcountriesvary,the
terminology usedisnotthesameandtheconcepts
usedtodetermine thelimitsarcnotbasedonthe
sameprinciples .Harmonization istherefore
essentialandageneralDirectivecoordinating and
harmonizing exposure levels,possiblyupdated
lateroninaccordance withthelatestscientific
dataandinternational information availabletothe
Commission ,couldbepreparedbetweennowand
1979.Thisshort-term initiative wouldhavethe
advantage ofachieving harmonization at
Community levelandavoidingthedelayof
waitingforthecompletion ofon-goingresearch
projectsinthefieldofoccupational toxicology,
whetherwithintheCommission orintheMember
States.
3.Directivesonspecificpollutants
Thegeneralharmonization discussedinparagraph
2mustbesupplemented bythepreparation of
specificdirectivessuchasthoseproposedbythe
Commission forvinylchloridemonomer and
thoseshortlytobeputforwardonasbestos,lead,
mercury,solvents,carbonmonoxide,noiseand
vibrations .Thestudiesinprogresswithinthe
Commission andthestateofknowledge havenow
reachedthestagewheretheycanbeusedto
determinethepermissible exposurelevelsforthe
abovcmcntioned pollutantsfromthepointofview
ofhealthprotection .
4.Carcinogens
SpecificCommission actionwithregardto
carcinogens presentatworkplaces willconsistin:
\–collecting dataonthedistribution of
carcinogens andtheirconcentration atthe
workplace ,
–collectingandanalysingmedicaldata,
–perfectingreadilyapplicable detectiontests,
–fixingthelowestpossiblelevelsor,ifnecessary,
prohibitacertainnumberofcarcinogens
presentattheworkplace .
5.Toxicological evaluation
Toxicological evaluation iscentraltothe
assessment ofthehealthrisksduetothepresence
ofmanychemicalandbiological agentsinthe
workingenvironment .Thiscanbecarriedout
onlyifsufficientknowledge isavailableonthe
effectsoftheagentsunderconsideration onman.
Themethodology adoptedbytheCommission for
assessing thedangers fromenvironmental
pollutants ingeneralisbasedonresearchinto
criteriafornoxiousness fromwhichpermissible
humanexposurelevelsmaybededuced.Thedata
alreadycollectedbytheCommission ontheeffects
onhealthofurbanatmospheric pollutants and

-30-
WhentheCommission hasanalysedthesedifferent
methods,itwilldrawupintercomparison
programmes andpreparereferencemethodsfor
thedetermination ofthemajorpollutants present
atworkplaces .
Specialattentionwillbepaidtopromoting the
development ofnewmonitoring andmeasuring
methodsforindividualexposure .
TheCommission willmakeasimilareffortto
applythehumanbiological indicators alreadyin
existence andwillcarryoutresearchfornew
indicators whichwillmakeitpossibletodetect
anychangesinthestateofhealthatanearlystage.
TheEuropean listofoccupational diseaseswillbe
usedasareferencedocument fordrawingupthe
prioritiesforthisactionscheduled totakeplaceas
from1978.Accountwillhavetobetakennotonly
ofindividual sensitivity ,whichmaybeveryhigh
forsomepollutants ,andofworkplaces sothat
groupswithahighoccupational exposurerisk
maybeidentified ,butalsoofsomespecialgroups
ofworkerssuchasadolescents andwomen.
Monitoring ofworkers'health
Inaccordance withthetermsofArticle118ofthe
•Treatyestablishing theEEC,occupational
medicine'mustbeconsidered asanareainwhich
theCommission hasthetaskofpromoting close
cooperation betweenMemberStatesinthesocial
field,particularly inmattersrelatingtoworking
conditions andtotheprevention ofoccupational
accidents anddiseases.The'term'occupational
medicine' ,asstatedinthe1962recommendation
onoccupational medicine intheundertaking ,
referstoaserviceestablished inornearaplaceof
employment forthepurposesof: -•••
(a)protecting theworkersagainstanyhealth
hazardwhichmayariseoutoftheirworkor
conditions inwhichitiscarriedon;
(b)contributing towardstheworkers'physical
andmentaladjustment ,inparticular bythe
adaptation oftheworljtotheworkersand
theirassignment tojobsforwhichtheyare
suited;and
(c)contributing totheestablishment and
maintenance ofthehighestpossibledegreeof
physicalandmentalwell-being ofthe
workers. .
Inaddition,Recommendation 112oftheILO
statedthattheroleofoccupational healthservicesshouldbeessentially preventive anddefinedtheir
functionssoastoincludetheprevention of
accidents andoccupational diseases,the
rehabilitation ofworkers,jobanalysisinthelight
ofphysiological andpsychological considerations ,
surveillance ofhygiene,adviceontheplacement
ofworkers,medicalsupervision ,emergency
treatmentandresearchinoccupational health.
Consideration mustbegiventocloser
harmonization ofthemethods usedby
occupational healthservicesinundertakings in
orderthattheworkoftheindustrial medical
officermaybemorefullyintegrated intothe
systemformonitoring workers'safetyandhealth,
asrecommended inthisprogramme .
Thisrevisionwillbecarriedoutwitheffectfrom
1978byconsultation wiihtherelevantbodiesand
shouldculminate inadirectiveontheorganization
ofoccupational medicineintheMemberStatesof
theCommunity ,tobeproposedin1979.
4.Spécialmonitoring
/
Inmanyundertakings therearesomejobswhich
presenthigherthanaveragerisks;certaintypesof
casualworkmayalsoinvolveexposuretorisk
whichishigherthanthatpresentinnormal
workingconditions orthantheexposurelevels
laiddown.Suchjobsaredone,forexample,by
members ofrescueteamsorofmaintenance and
repairteamsandbyworkers invirology
laboratories andininstitutesproducing seraor
viruses,etc.
Exchanges ofinformation andexperience forcases
involvingtheseaspectsshouldbeorganized at
Community levelandshouldleadtoadefinition
oftheprinciplesandcriteriaforthisparticular
typeofmonitoring .
5.Industrieltoxico-vigilance
TheCommission planstosetupanindustrial
toxico-vigilancesystemalongthelinesproposed
bytheILOandwhichisaimedatestablishing a
centralinformation systemforallobservations
madeinindustrialactivityconcerning theharmful #
effectsoftoxicsubstances .Thissystemshouldbe
basedonanetworkofhighlyspecialized centres
whichcouldanalyseinformation receivedfrom
occupational healthservicesandtransmititwhen
requiredtointerestedpersonsorinstitutions .
«
TheCommission willmakeanappropriate
proposaltotheCouncil,afterholdingthe
necessaryconsultations .

31
certainwaterpollutants provideabasisforthe
actionplannedinindustry,butitneedstobe
considerably extendedanddeveloped .Prioritywill
begiventothefollowing substances :arsenic,
cadmium,chromium ,ironoxides,nickel,
vegetable dusts,ozone,nitrogenoxidesand
biologicalpollutants .
TheCommission ,whiletakingaccountofstudies
alreadycarriedoutandprojectsbeingplannedat
international level,istogiveprioritytothe
extensionanddevelopment ofinformation relating
totheobjectiveevaluation ofrisksassociatedwith
toxicsubstances presentattheworkplace .This
actionwillleadtodirectivesonexposurelevelsfor
workersandalsotothecompilation ofhandbooks
onthesafehandlingofsuchsubstances atthe
workplace .TheCommission intendstocarryout
thisactionbymeansofaseriesofstudiesand
scientific andtechnical consultations .Itwillbe
assistedinthisactionbyaScientificCommittee on
Toxicology plannedfortheendof1977.
INITIATIVE 3
Moreextensivemonitoring ofworkers'safetyand
health
Aim
Whereasexposurelimitsforworkersandsafetyand
healthprotection measuresareessentialfactorsinthe
organization ofaccidentanddiseaseprevention ,
variouspermanent andwell-adapted methodsare
alsorequiredwithwhichtomonitorthemeasures
adoptedandtheexposurelevelsprescribedforthe
workplace .
Thesemonitoring methodsmustbeharmonized and
coordinated atCommunity level.
Themonitoring ofworkers'healthandsafety
dependsuponseveraltypesofmonitoring which
complement eachother:
(a)monitoring oftheeffectiveness ofindividualor
groupsafetyandprotectionmeasureswithregard
tomachinery,equipment andplant;
(b)monitoring ofhygieneandworkingconditions
fromwhichthetypesofexposuretodifferent
physical,chemicalandbiologicalagentspresent
intheworkingenvironment arederived:(c)monitoring ofthestateofhealthandbehaviour
oftheworkeraspartofoccupational medicine;
(d)specialmonitoring asaresultofworkentailing
specialrisks;
(e)industrialtoxico-vigilance ;
(f)inspections .
TheCommission feelsthatitisessential to
harmonize atCommunity levelprinciples and
methodsapplicable tomonitoring .Moreover ,efforts
shouldbemadetointerestworkersinmonitoring
withintheundertaking ,eitherbydirectmeansorby
meansofexistingbodiesorinstitutions .
Anyproposedsolutionsmustallowworkers'and
employers' representatives toplayafullerpartinthe
practicalorganization ofsuchmonitoring atvarious
levelsofactionandresponsibility .
Contents
1.Monitoring oftheeffectiveness ofsafetyand
protection measures
Planningandexecutionofthisformofmonitoring
variesatpresentfromcountrytocountryand
according totheregulations andactivities
concerned .Oncetheprovisions currently
governing suchmonitoring havebeenanalysed,
suitableproposals willbesubmitted tothe
Councilforadoption inordertoharmonize and
strengthen theorganization ofthistypeof
monitoring inwhichtheworkers'andemployers'
representatives shouldplayagreaterrole.
2.Monitoring ofhygieneandworkingconditions
Monitoring ofpollutant concentrations at
workplaces andtheintensityofenvironmental
factorsisessentialfortheorganization ofdisease
prevention andmonitoring .
Measuring programmes doexistinMemberStates
buttheyarcbasedon•differentmethodsand
sometimes differentprinciples .Thesemeasures
mustbeharmonized atCommunity levelwith
regardtosampling,techniques andmeasuring
intervals .

^32
6.Inspections
Inspections carriedoutforthepurposesof
occupational safety,medicineandhygieneshould
beorganized sothattheyassumefull
responsibility andcontrolbyplacingtheemphasis
onpreventive measures .Withthisendinviewthe
necessary provisions mustbemadeinclose
collaboration withthecompetent authorities in
Member Statesforthestrengthening and
development oftheworkofinspection atnational
level.TheCommission intendstoreviewtherole
oftheinspectorate responsible forimplementing in
eachMemberStatetheregulations ofoccupational
health,hygieneandsafety.Thisreviewwillcover
diplomas,certificates andotherqualifications ,and
thepowersandscopeoftheirresponsibilities in
thisfield.
INITIATIVE 4
/
\
Accidentanddiseaseaetiologyandassessment of
risksconnected withwork --
Aim
Theriskofaccidentordiseasemaybeestimated
objectively onlyifreliablemethodsareavailable
whichmakeitpossibletodetermine thescope,
scrjousness anddevelopment intimeand,inageneral
way,toacquiregreaterknowledge ofthevarious
factorsinvolvedinthecauseofaccidentsatworkand
ofdiseasesduetowork.
Statisticsareessentialtoolsfortheanalysisand
interpretation offactsandfor.assessment ofthe
resultsobtained fromanaccident anddisease
prevention policy.
Theimprovement ofstatistics andtheir
comparability ,theharmonization ofmethodologies
andthemorepreciseinterpretation ofthedatathey
provideareimportant stepsinthedevelopment ofan
improved organization ofworkwithregardto
accidentanddiseaseprevention .Sincesomany
differentapproaches areusedadistinction mustbe
drawnbetweenactioninrespectofaccidentsatwork
andactioninrespectofdiseaseduetowork.
Suchactionsmustprovideaclearerpictureofthe
differentcausative factorsofaccidents atworkandof
diseasesduetoworkandmustusethemasabasis
forpracticalpreventive andprotective measuresagainsthazardsconnected withwork.Itwillthenbe
possibletoprovidepreventive-type protection for
menatwork,onanobjectiveandrealisticbasis.
Inaddition,specialattention willbepaidto
calculating theeconomicandsocialcostofaccidents
atworkanddiseasesduetoworksoastoestablish
theorderofpriorityforpreventive measures .
\
Accountwillbetakenoftheharmonization work
alreadycarriedoutbyotherinternational
organizations andofworkcompletedorinprogress,
particularly bytheILO.
Contents
Theseinitiatives dealseparately withaccidentsat
workanddiseasesresultingfromwork.
Asregardsaccidentsatworkthetwosectorsfor
whichCommunity statisticsarealreadyavailableare
theironandsteelindustryandmining.Drawingon
theexperience gainedinthesesectorsthe
Commission planstodrawupCommunity statistics
concerning other-sectors,tolaunchsectoralin-depth
studiesandtoharmonize accidentdefinitions and
methodsofreportingaccidentsinordertoestablish
morepreciselytheaetiologyofaccidents .Preparatory
surveysareinprogressandthefirstresultswillbe
available in1979.
Withregardtodiseasesduetowork,statistics
collectedatnationallevelusuallyconcernonly
occupational diseasesandaredrawnupondifferent
basessothatitisnotpossibletocomparethem.
TherearenoCommunity statisticsinthisfieldandit
wouldbeappropriate todeviseajointmethodology
assoonaspossiblesothatexistingnationalstatistics
maybeprocessed .TheCommission thereforeplans
togatherandanalysenationalstatisticalinformation
andtodrawupproposalsformethodologies witha
viewtoacommonapproach,sothatcalculations
maybemadeofmortality,sicknessandabsenteeism
ratesandtheirevolutionoveraperiodoftime.
Closecollaboration mustbeinstituted withthe
nationalstatistical officesandthenationalsocial
securityofficeswithregardtothesenewproblems.
Thisisamedium-term initiativeandthefirstresults
willbecomeavailableonlyaftcftwoorthreeyears.

-33-
INITIATIVE S
Coordination andpromotion ofresearchonoccu­
pationalsafetyandhealth
Aim
I
Theactionplannedintheprogramme mustfindits
scientificsupportinaresearchprogramme whichis
coordinated and/orcarriedoutjointlyandwhich
dealsontheonehandwiththemeasurement and
effectsonhealthofpollutants andharmful
substances and,ontheotherhand,withthe
development withinundertakings ofsafer,'cleaner'
technologies whichdonotthreatenthegeneral
environment .
Collaboration mustbeorganized andstrengthened
betweentheinstitutes andlaboratories ofMember
Statesinordertoavoidduplication ofwork,to
derivegreaterbenefitfromthefinancialresources
available andwherenecessary tobringtogether
highlyspecialized laboratories toworkonproblems
whichcannotbesolvedinasingleMemberState.
• r
Moreover ,researchmustbecarriedout-infields
wherelittleornoworkhasbeendone,suchas
agriculture andthetertiaryindustries .
Contents
Twopermanent inventories ofresearchinprogressor
planned (occupational safetyandmedicine )at
national levelarcalreadybeingprepared at
Community level.From1978theinventories will
makeitpossibletosetupareciprocal information
systemonresponsible bodiesinordertopromotethe
exchangeofknowledge andcreateconditions for
closecollaboration betweenresearchinstitutes .These
permanent inventories willalsomentionfieldsin
whichtherearegaps.Threepilotstudiesarein
progressoninflammable substances ,occupational
risksinthebuildingindustryandcertaincarcinogens .
During1978thesestudieswillalsoindicatewhich
subjectsshouldbecoveredbyjointresearch.
Onthebasisoftheseinventories thedatabankbeing
compiled withintheCommission shouldbe
progressively supplemented andshouldinclude
detailsofnewresearch;accountistakenofthefact
thatthisdatabankwillsubsequently belinkedtothe
information systemonmedicalresearchwhichis
beingsetupatCommission level.
Research workaimedatclosingthegapsin
knowledge ontoxicagentsandtheireffectsonhealthoratimproving methodsformeasuring theseagents
isofmajorimportance forthesuccessofseveralparts
oftheprogramme–inparticular thesectiononthe
determination ofcriteriaforharmfulncss .Itwillalso
helptodetermine asaccurately aspossiblethe
potentialandactualeffectonhealthofpollutants
andnuisancespresentorlikelytobepresentatthe
workplace .
Theresultsoftheimplementation ofthevarious
initiativesmakinguptheprogramme willbeanalysed
bytheCommission witheffectfrom1979andcould
formabasisforthepreparation ofadetailedand
preciseCommunity research anddevelopment
programme whichcouldbethesubjectofafuture
Commission proposalforadoptionbytheCouncil.
INITIATIVE 6
Development ofsafetyandhealthconsciousness by
meansofeducation andtraining
Aim
Thisinitiative isaimedatdeveloping safetyand
healthconsciousness bymeansofeducation and
training.Itisofparamount importance forthe
successofthepromotion ofsafetyandhygieneat
workplaces .Itisbasedoninstruction andtraining
andinvolvesvariouslevelsofeducation andthe
undertaking itself.Italsoconcernsinageneralway
occupational andsocialsectorsinvolvedinproblems
ofaccidentprevention andhealthprotectionatwork.
Thisisamediumandlong-term initiativeinviewof
thedifferentsectorsinvolvedandoftheabsenceto
dateofanyrealmethodology andcommon
principles .Variousstudiesandconsultations willbe
requiredbeforeresultsandconcreteproposals are
obtainedatCommunity level.
Thisactionconcerns educational bodies,under­
takingsandsocietyingeneral.
Asforeducationthebasicprinciplesofsafetyandof
healtheducation mustbetaughtinschools.
Knowledge ofandthecorrectattitudestowards
occupational safetyandhygienemustbetaughtat
variouslevelsofeducation asanintegralpartofthe
curriculum andatthesametimeattentionmustbe
paidtotherequirements ofprevention inrelationto
reallifesituations .Thequestionisoneofestablishing
atCommunity levelasafetytrainingschemewhich
takesaccountofthedifferences betweennational

-A4-
characteristics andtraditions butwhichisbasedon
commonprinciplesandacommonapproach.
Withinundertakings stepsfortheelimination ofrisks
mustbesystematically organized andcoordinated at
alllevelsofresponsibility andmanagement .
Principlesofsafetymustbeconsolidated ,developed
andmadepublic.Actiondesignedtosharpenthe
awareness ofindustrialists andheadsofundertakings
mustbetakentogetherwiththecampaign aimedat
workers.
Forthetrainingofsocietyingeneraltheactiontaken
ineducation mustbesupplemented byactionaimed
atcertainpopulation groups.Theuseofaudiovisual
aidsisoneofthemostmodernandmosteffective
meansofinforming thepublicoftheimportance and
significance ofaccidentanddiseaseprevention .
Contents
1.Education
TheCommission planstocarryout,togetherwith
thebodiesresponsible fornationaleducation,
preparatory studiesforthepurposeofdefining
harmonized planningatCommunity level.
Ingeneraleducation–startingattheearliestage
andcontinuing throughout schoollife–
instruction mustbeontwolevels:
–theoretical andpracticalinstruction togive
childrenandyoungpeopleanawareness of
theriskofaccidents,
–instruction todevelopasenseofmoraland
publicresponsibility withregardtosafetyand
'healthprotection .
Intechnicaleducation relevanttraininginsafety
andhealthprotection shouldaccompany alllevels
oftechnicalinstruction andvocational training.
Specialattentionshouldbepaidtothetrainingof
personsparticularly concerned withsafetyand
healthprotection whohaveaspecifictaskor
responsibility inthisfield.
TheCommission planstoproposeCommunity
trainingmodelsforpersonsincertainoccupations
andconcerned withspecifictasks,suchas
industrial medicalofficer,occupational safety
officer,engineer,architect,memberofacompany
safetycommittee orunionofficial.2.Undertaking
Withinanundertaking traininginsafetymustbe
underthecontroloftheundertaking itselfsince
generalandtechnicaltrainingcannottakethe
placeofappropriate actionattheworkplace .This
typeoftrainingmustsupplement theinstruction
receivedinschoolsanditmustalsobegivento
thosewhohavenorpreviously receivedanysuch
instruction .
Suchtraining,tobecarriedoutwithinindustry,
willbemorespecialized andmoredetailed.In
manycasesitwillbeorganized byspecialist
bodieswhoseworkmustbecoordinated at
Community level.Itshouldberemembered that
education coversabroadspanoflearning
situations–forexampleinstruction givenby
experienced workersandlearningon-the-job.
Beginning in1978,theCommission intends:
–todrawupCommunity modelsforsafety
trainingandrefresher coursesforcertain
categories ofstaff:administrative grades,
executive grades,instructors forcourseson
safetyandhealtheducation andsafety
delegates,
–todrawupCommunity modelsforpresenting
variousaspectsofsafetytonewlyrecruited
workers,migrantworkersandworkerswho
havechangedjobs,
–todrawupmanualsandcodesofpracticewith
regardtosectoralactivitiesordangerousjobs,
•–toorganizesafetycampaigns oflimited
durationwithaspecificaim,inwhichworkers
willfeelfullyandactivelyinvolved,
–toextendthegrouptrainingcoursesalreadyin
existencetoothergroupsofpersonsconcerned
w'shaccidentprevention andsafetymeasures .
Thisactionwillbefurtheredbymakingavailable
tobothmanagement andlabourknowledge or
conceptsacquiredcitherbyexchange of
experience withinspecialistgroupsintherelevant
sectorsorbyresearchprojectsjointlyagreedand
financed.Suchknowledge couldbeincludedin
instructions ,regulations orcodesofpractice,tobe
distributed withcommentaries intheappropriate
quartersandtobekeptconstantlyuptodate.
TheCommission willsupportthistypeof
•cooperation andpromotionofsafetybyproviding

-35-
information gatheredfromspecificaspectsofthe
actionprogramme ,suchasinformation on
accidentsandontechnicalprogressinthedesign,
manufacture anduseofmachinery andplant,and
bymakingavailabletheindustrialtoxicovigilancc
results.
3..Population groups
Inadditiontotheactiontakenineducation ,
generalinformation forcertainpopulation groups(suchasparents'associations ,professional bodies,
women'sassociations )mustbeorganized with
regardtotheimportance ofaccidentanddisease
prevention .Somestepshavealreadybeentakenin
thisfieldatnationallevel.Audiovisual aidsare
alreadyusedtoprovidethisinformation .The
Commission planstocoordinate theseinitiatives
anddevelopthemjointly,toproducefilmsandset
upapermanent fileonaudiovisual aidsavailable
onanexchangebasis.

-36-
RESOLUTION
The Advisory Committee onSafety ,Hygiene and Health
Protection atWork ,meeting inLuxembourg on19-20
April 1977 ;
Whereas theCouncil Resolution of21January 197^concerning
asocial action programme provided foranaction programme
forworkers with particular reference tothe improvement of
safety andhealth conditions atwork ;
Whereas theAdvisory Committee ,meeting inLuxembourg on
25-27 October 1976 ,approved aDraft Community Action
Programme onHealth and Safety atWork ;
Whereas the study oftheFirst Progress Report ofthe
Advisory Committee clearly revealed that theinadequate
staffing ofthe Secretariat was aserious hindrance tothe
proper functioning ofthe Committee 'sactivities ;
Strongly requests ,inconnection with theabove-mentioned
Draft Programme ,that theSecretariat beadequately equipped
byJanuary 1978 atthelatest .