NoC169/28 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 6.7.92
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveconcerningminimumrequirementsfor
improvingthesafetyandhealthprotectionofworkersintheextractiveindustriesforthe
explorationandexploitationofmineralsinminesandquarries(J)
92/C169/10)
On3March1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,under
Article118AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteedecidedtoappointMrFlumasRapporteur-General
foritsOpinion.
Atits296thPlenarySession(meetingof29April1992)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionbyaunanimousvote.
1.Descriptionoftheprogramme
1.1.TheaimofthedraftDirectiveistoimprovethe
levelofsafetyandhealthprotectionaffordedtoworkers
intheextractiveindustries.Minimumrequirementsare
laiddownwithregardtoworkingmethods,thelayout
oftheworkplace,equipmentandtheprovisionofsani­
taryandsocialfacilities.
1.2.ThedraftDirectiveisbasedonArticle118Aof
theEECTreaty.Itcomeswithinthescopeofthe
Commission'scommunication ontheprogrammecon­
cerningsafety,hygieneandhealthatwork.
1.3.ThedraftDirectiveispartofthesocialmeasures
intendedtoaccompanythecompletionoftheinternal
market.
1.4.ThedraftDirectiveappliestotheextractive
industriesandcoversthefollowingareas:
a)explorationforandextractionofmineralsinsurface
workings(e.g.inthecaseoftheproductionofsand,
gravel,ballast,marble,granite,slate,gypsum,lime­
stoneandlignite);
b)explorationforandextractionofmineralsinunder­
groundworkings(e.g.inthecaseoftheproduction
ofcoal,lignite,ore,rock-salt,potassiumsalt,gyp­
sumandslate).
1.5.ThedraftDirectivetakesthefollowingform:
TheprovisionssetoutinthebodyofthedraftDirective
applyjointlytotheareaslistedinpoint1.4(a)and(b).
TheAnnexisdividedintofive:
—0Preliminarynoteandscope,
—1Commonrequirementsapplicabletominesand
quarriesandtoancillarysurfaceinstallations
thereof,
—2Specialrequirementsapplicabletoancillarysur­
faceinstallationsofminesandquarries,
—3Specialrequirementsapplicabletosurfacework­
ings,
—4Specialrequirementsapplicabletounderground
workings.2.Generalcomments
2.1.TheCommitteewarmlywelcomesthedraft
Directive,representingasitdoesanimportantstep
forwardinimprovingprotectionagainstaccidentsina
sectorwhereworkplacesareparticularlyhazardous .
2.2.Theextractiveindustriesinvolvehigherthan
averagerisks.TheCommitteesharestheCommission's
viewasregardstheparticularurgencyofimproving
safetyandhealthprotectionintheseindustries.
2.3.Inviewofthefactthataccidentandhealth
hazardsaresubstantiallygreaterintheextractiveindus­
triesthaninotherindustrialsectors,theimprovement
ofsafetyandhealthprotectionandprotectionagainst
industrialillnessesisofparticularimportance .
2.4.ThereareatpresentnoECprovisionswhatso­
everwithregardtotheimprovementofsafetyand
healthprotectionforworkersintheextractiveindus­
tries.SeveralECMemberStateshavealreadyintro­
ducednationallegalandadministrative provisionsgov­
erningsafetyandhealthprotectionforworkersinthis
sector.
2.5.Theminimumrequirementsproposedinthe
draftDirectiveprovidethebasisforauniformstandard
ofhealthandsafetywhichalsotakesaccountofthe
interestsofsmallandmedium-sizedenterprises .
2.6.TheCommitteerecognizesthat,inaccordance
withTreatyArticle118A,MemberStateprovisions
whicharemorestringentthantheproposedminimum
requirementswillnotbeaffectedbythedraftDirective.
2.7.TheCommitteeispleasedtonotethattheCom­
mission,inpreparingitsproposal,hastakenovera
goodmanyofthesuggestionsmadebytheCommittee
initsOpinionontheoilandgasindustries(2).
(!)OJNoC58,5.3.1991,p.3. (2)OJNoC191,22.7.1991,p.34.

6.7.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC169/29
2.8.TheCommitteealsonotesthattheCommission
isherebyfulfillingitspromisetosubmitaproposalas
soonaspossibleontheimprovementofsafetyand
healthprotectionforworkersinopencastandunder­
groundmines.
2.9.Despiteendorsingtheproposalinessence,the
CommitteewouldasktheCommissiontogivefavour­
ableconsiderationtothesuggestionsmadeinitsspecific
commentsbelow.TheCommitteecannotendorsethisidea,becauseit
willmeananundulylongdelayinapplyingprotective
measureswhicharenecessary.Itthereforeproposesa
transitionalperiodofnomorethanfiveyearsforthese
establishments .
3.5.Annex1:Commonrequirementsapplicableto
minesandquarriesandtoancillarysurfaceinstal­
lationsthereof
3.5.1.Inpoint1.1.3theword'adequate'shouldbe
deleted.Thetextthenreadsasfollows:'supervisionor
meansofcommunication mustbeprovided.'
3.5.2.Point1.2.4dealswithwrittensafetyinstruc­
tions.TheCommitteethinksthatcaremustbetaken
toensurethattheseinstructionsaregivenintheright
language(s),theaimbeingtoprovideallworkerswith
thesameinformation .
3.5.3.TheCommitteeproposesthefollowing
amendmentswithregardtoprotectionagainstfire
risks:
—Point1.5.3.2.Thewords'ifnecessary'shouldbe
deletedinthefirstline.
—Point1.5.3.3.Thewords'wherenecessary'should
bedeletedinthesecondline.
3.5.4.IntheSectiononfirstaidfacilitiesthewords
'whereappropriate'shouldbedeletedinthefirstline
ofpoint1.13.2.
3.6.Annex2:Specialrequirementsapplicabletoancil­
larysurfaceinstallationsofminesandquarries,
Point2.2.1
Thesecondsentenceshouldberewordedasfollowsin
ordertoavoidmisinterpretations :'Roomscontaining
workstationsmusthaveappropriatethermalinsulation
whichensuresasuitablyhealthyroomtemperature ,
bearinginmindthenatureoftheworkinvolvedand
thephysicalactivityoftheworkers.'
4.Finalcomment
4.1.Anumberoflinguisticinaccuracies ,especially
intheSpanishtranslation,werediscoveredduringthe
discussionoftheproposal.TheCommitteewould
thereforeaskthatthetextsberevised.3.Specificcomments
3.1.Article3
3.1.1.TheCommitteewouldpointoutthatalloccu­
pationalhealthandsafetyinstructionsshouldbegiven
inalanguagewhichtheworkersunderstand.
3.2.Newarticle
3.2.1.TheCommitteethinksthatcaremustbetaken
toensurethattheDirectiveisappliedcorrectlyafterits
transpositionintonationallaw.Thefollowingnew
articleshouldthereforebeinserted:'MemberStates
shallestablishadministrative machineryforensuring
thattheDirectivetransposedbythemintonationallaw
iscorrectlyappliedanditsapplicationmonitored.'
3.3.Article9
3.3.1.TheCommitteewarmlywelcomesthefactthat
thesuggestionmadeinOpinionESC709/91regarding
healthsupervisionhasbeentakenupbytheCom­
mission,whichisproposinghealthchecksonworkers
priortothecommencement ofdutiesandatregular
intervalsthroughouttheirworkinglives.Theintervals
betweentheregularchecksshouldvarywiththework­
placehazards.
3.4.Article11
3.4.1.Theminimumhealthandsafetyrequirements
arenottocomeintoeffectinworkplaceswhichexisted
before31December1993untilnineyearsafterthe
Directive'sentryintoforce.
DoneatBrussels,29April1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH