Commission Directive 2000/39/EC of 8 June 2000 establishing a first list of indicative occupational exposure limit values in implementation of Council Directive 98/24/EC on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2000-06-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: chemical product, health risk, occupational health, toxic substance

16.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 142/47

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2000/39/EC

of 8 June 2000

establishing a first list of indicative occupational exposure limit values in implementation of
Council Directive 98/24/EC on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks
related to chemical agents at work

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 98/24/EC of 7 April 1998
on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the
risks related to chemical agents at work (1), and in particular
Article 3(2) thereof,

Having regard to the opinion of the Advisory Committee on
safety, hygiene and health protection at work,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Pursuant to Directive 98/24/EC, the Commission is to
propose European objectives in the form of indicative
occupational exposure limit values for the protection of
workers from chemical risks, to be set at Community
level.

The Commission, in carrying out this task, is assisted by
the Scientific Committee for occupational exposure
limits
instituted by
Commission Decision 95/320/EC (2).

to chemical

(SCOEL),

agents

limit

values

exposure

For any chemical agent for which indicative occupa-
tional
at
Community level, Member States are required to estab-
lish a national occupational exposure limit value, taking
into account the Community limit value, determining its
nature in accordance with national legislation and prac-
tice.

established

are

Indicative occupational exposure limit values should be
regarded as an important part of the overall approach to
ensuring the protection of the health of workers at the
the risks arising from hazardous
workplace, against
chemicals.

A first and a second list of
indicative occupational
exposure limit values were established by Commission
Directives 91/322/EEC (3) and 96/94/EC (4) in the frame-
work of Council Directive 80/1107/EEC of 27
November 1980 on the protection of workers from the
risks related to exposure to chemical, physical and
biological agents at work (5).

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

Directive 80/1107/EEC has been repealed with effect
from 5 May 2001 by Directive 98/24/EC.

is appropriate to reenact,

in the framework of
It
Directive 98/24/EC, the indicative occupational exposure
limit values which had been established by Directives
91/322/EEC and 96/94/EC in the
framework of
Directive 80/1107/EEC.

The list set out in the Annex contains the substances set
out in the Annex to Directive 96/94/EC and incorpor-
ates a number of other agents for which indicative occu-
pational exposure limit values have been recommended
by SCOEL, following the evaluation of the latest avail-
able scientific data on occupational health effects and
taking into account the availability of measuring tech-
niques. In view of the foregoing and in the interests of
clarity Directive 96/94/EC should be recast.

It is necessary to establish short-term exposure limit
values for certain substances to take account of effects
arising from short-term exposure.

For some agents, it is necessary to have regard also to
the possibility of penetration through the skin, in order
to ensure the best possible level of protection.

This Directive constitutes a practical step towards the
achievement of
the internal
market.

the social dimension of

The measures provided for in this Directive are in
accordance with the opinion of the Committee instituted
by Article 17 of Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12
June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage
improvements in the safety and health of workers at
work (6),

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

(1) OJ L 131, 5.5.1998, p. 11.
(2) OJ L 188, 9.8.1995, p. 14.
(3) OJ L 177, 5.7.1991, p. 22.
(4) OJ L 338, 28.12.1996, p. 86.
(5) OJ L 327, 3.12.1980, p. 8.

Community indicative occupational exposure limit values are
hereby established for the chemical agents set out
in the
Annex.

(6) OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1.

L 142/48

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16.6.2000

Article 2

Article 4

Member States shall establish national occupational exposure
limit values for the chemical agents listed in the Annex, taking
into account the Community values.

Directive 96/94/EC is repealed with effect
referred to in Article 3(1).

from the date

Article 3

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations
and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive by 31 December 2001 at the latest. They shall forth-
with inform the Commission thereof.

When Member States adopt these provisions, they shall contain
a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a
their official publication. Member
reference at
States shall determine how such reference is to be made.

the time of

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the
text of the provisions of national law which they adopt in the
field covered by this Directive.

Article 5

This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Article 6

Done at Brussels, 8 June 2000.

For the Commission

Anna DIAMANTOPOULOU

Member of the Commission

16.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 142/49

ANNEX

INDICATIVE OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LIMIT VALUES

Limit values

Einecs (1)

CAS (2)

Name of agent

Eight hours (4)

Short-term (5)

Notation (3)

mg/m3 (6)

ppm (7)

mg/m3 (6)

ppm (7)

200-467-2

60-29-7 Diethylether

200-662-2

67-64-1

Acetone

200-663-8

67-66-3

Chloroform

200-756-3

71-55-6

1,1,1-Trichloroethane

200-834-7

75-04-7

Ethylamine

200-863-5

75-34-3

1,1-Dichloroethane

200-870-3

75-44-5

Phosgene

200-871-9

75-45-6

Chlorodifluoromethane

201-159-0

78-93-3

Butanone

201-176-3

79-09-4

Propionic acid

202-422-2

95-47-6

o-Xylene

202-425-9

95-50-1

1,2-Dichlorobenzene

202-436-9

95-63-6

1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene

202-704-5

98-82-8

Cumene

202-705-0

98-83-9

2-Phenylpropene

202-849-4

100-41-4

Ethylbenzene

203-313-2

105-60-2

e-Caprolactam, (dust and vapour)

203-388-1

106-35-4

Heptan-3-one

203-396-5

106-42-3

p-Xylene

203-400-5

106-46-7

1,4-Dichlorobenzene

203-470-7

107-18-6

Allyl alcohol

203-473-3

107-21-1

Ethylene glycol

203-539-1

107-98-2

1-Methoxypropanol-2

203-550-1

108-10-1

4-Methylpentan-2-one

203-576-3

108-38-3 m-Xylene

203-603-9

108-65-6

2-Methoxy-1-methylethylacetate

203-604-4

108-67-8 Mesitylene (Trimethylbenzenes)

203-628-5

108-90-7

Chlorobenzene

203-631-1

108-94-1

Cyclohexanone

203-632-7

108-95-2

Phenol

203-726-8

109-99-9

Tetrahydrofuran

203-737-8

110-12-3

5-Methylhexan-2-one

203-767-1

110-43-0

Heptan-2-one

203-808-3

110-85-0

Piperazine

203-905-0

111-76-2

2-Butoxyethanol

203-933-3

112-07-2

2-Butoxyethyl acetate

308

1 210

10

555

9,4

412

0,08

3 600

600

31

221

122

100

100

246

442

10

95

221

122

4,8

52

375

83

221

275

100

47

40,8

7,8

150

95

238

0,1

98

133

100

500

2

100

5

100

0,02

1 000

200

10

50

20

20

20

50

100

—

20

50

20

2

20

100

20

50

50

20

10

10

2

50

20

50

—

20

20

616

—

—

1 110

—

—

0,4

—

900

62

442

306

—

250

492

884

40

—

442

306

12,1

104

568

208

442

550

—

94

81,6

—

300

—

475

0,3

246

333

200

—

—

200

—

—

0,1

—

300

20

100

50

—

50

100

200

—

—

100

50

5

40

150

50

100

100

—

20

20

—

100

—

100

—

50

50

—

—

Skin

—

—

Skin

—

—

—

—

Skin

Skin

—

Skin

—

Skin

—

—

Skin

—

Skin

Skin

Skin

—

Skin

Skin

—

—

Skin

Skin

Skin

—

Skin

—

Skin

Skin

L 142/50

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Official Journal of the European Communities

16.6.2000

Einecs (1)

CAS (2)

Name of agent

Eight hours (4)

Short-term (5)

Notation (3)

mg/m3 (6)

ppm (7)

mg/m3 (6)

ppm (7)

Limit values

204-065-8

115-10-6 Dimethylether

1 920

1 000

204-428-0

120-82-1

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene

204-469-4

121-44-8

Triethylamine

204-662-3

123-92-2

Isopentylacetate

204-697-4

124-40-3 Dimethylamine

204-826-4

127-19-5

N,N-Dimethylacetamide

205-480-7

141-32-2

n-Butylacrylate

15,1

8,4

270

3,8

36

11

2

2

50

2

10

2

205-563-8

142-82-5

n-Heptane

2 085

500

208-394-8

526-73-8

1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene

208-793-7

541-85-5

5-Methylheptan-3-one

210-946-8

626-38-0

1-Methylbutylacetate

211-047-3

628-63-7

Pentylacetate

620-11-1

3-Pentylacetate

625-16-1

Amylacetate, tert

215-535-7

1330-20-7

Xylene, mixed isomers, pure

222-995-2

3689-24-5

Sulphotep

231-634-8

7664-39-3

Hydrogen fluoride

231-131-3

7440-22-4

Silver, metallic

231-595-7

7647-01-0

Hydrogen chloride

231-633-2

7664-38-2 Orthophosphoric acid

231-635-3

7664-41-7

Ammonia, anhydrous

231-954-8

7782-41-4

Fluorine

231-978-9

7783-07-5 Dihydrogen selenide

233-113-0

10035-10-6

Hydrogen bromide

247-852-1

26628-22-8

Sodium azide

252-104-2

34590-94-8

(2-Methoxymethylethoxy)-propanol

Fluorides,

inorganic

100

53

270

270

270

270

221

0,1

1,5

0,1

8

1

14

1,58

0,07

—

0,1

308

2,5

20

10

50

50

50

50

50

—

1,8

—

5

—

20

1

0,02

—

—

50

—

—

37,8

12,6

540

9,4

72

53

—

—

107

540

540

540

540

442

—

2,5

—

15

2

36

3,16

0,17

6,7

0,3

—

—

(1) Einecs: European inventory of existing chemical substances.
(2) CAS: Chemical abstract service registry number.
(3) A skin notation assigned to the OEL identifies the possibility of significant uptake through the skin.
(4) Measured or calculated in relation to a reference period of eight-hours time-weighted average.
(5) A limit value above which exposure should not occur and is related to a 15-minute period, unless otherwise specified.
(6) mg/m3: milligrams per cubic metre of air at 20 °C and 101,3 KPa.
(7) ppm: parts per million by volume in air (ml/m3).

—

5

3

100

5

20

10

—

—

20

100

100

100

100

100

—

3

—

10

—

50

2

0,05

2

—

—

—

—

Skin

Skin

—

—

Skin

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Skin

Skin

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Skin

Skin

—