European Agency for

Safety and Health at Work

What is the Agency doing on Dangerous Substances?

Elke Schneider

Project Manager

Risk Observatory Unit

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work - established 1996

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• Network development – building the links

• Information services - communicating knowledge

• Information projects – developing knowledge

Key Areas of Activity

Information Network

CommunityPartners

NationalFocal Points

EuropeanAgency

OtherEU Partners

Non-EUPartners

Expert Groups

TopicCentres

NationalNetworks

EU Focal PointsCC Focal PointsEEA EFTA Focal Points

Dangerous Substances Situation in the EU

• 16% of EU workers report handling dangerous substances, 22% being exposed to toxic vapours

• Skin diseases and asthma top occupational diseases in EU Member States

• Infectious diseases lead to long workplace absences

• 16 Mio registered chemical substances 100000 marketed, 30000 commonly used

• for estimated about 20000 substances used in the workplace additional toxicological data are needed

Dangerous substances - Activities

• Website information online - good practice– Occupational exposure limits– Frequently asked questions– Good practice examples– Links to Member state information

• Research activities– Risk observatory

• European Week 2003 activities and products

• October 2003 - Decentralised European campaign

• Partnership approach - Agency, Focal Points, Social Partners, EU institutions, EU presidency

• EU, EFTA & Candidate Countries

• Agency Funding

• European Good Practice Award

• Closing Event

EW 2003 Campaign model

Forum 12, Eur. Agency for afety and Security at Work -

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Key messages

• Most workplaces are concerned• Don’t forget the substances produced during

work (dusts, fumes, mists, microorganisms)!• Substitution is possible• Risk assessment is essential• Information has to be brought to workplaces• Information has to be translated for workers

and employers into practical guidance• Hints and links to guidance and practical

solutions

• Press material• Six Fact sheets

- Introduction to DS in the Workplace- Elimination and Substitution of DS- Communication of information about

dangerous substances- Respiratory sensitisers - Skin sensitisers- Biological agents

EW 2003 Campaign material (1)

Factsheets 33/35: IntroductionInformation about DS

• A strong EU legislative framework• Employers have to assess risks • Hierarchy of control measures with

substitution as a priority• Include substances generated during work • OEL laid down in EU and Member States• Checklist for information to workers• Checklist for good communication between

employer and workers• Labels and Safety data sheets

Factsheet 34: Substitution

• Substitution top priority EU strategy• Where to start• Guides for substitution• Benefits from substitution• A practical example: The Danish MAL-

KODE for paints

Factsheets on respiratory and skin sensitisers

• What causes respiratory/skin problems• What are allergic respiratory/skin

diseases?• What are respiratory/skin sensitisers• Examples of potential sensitisers from

natural origin / related occupations• Preventing exposure• Good Practice examples

• A Report: Case studies of successful communication measures for the transmission of information relating to DS – LAB-link (Denmark)

– Chemical and biological agents programme (Spain)

– Safety and health strategy against biohazards (Austria)

• Magazine

• Website: dedicated multilingual information resource for the Week and in the future

http://ew2003.osha.eu.int

EW 2003 Campaign material (2)

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Website Information on Good Practice - Dangerous Substances

• Information on OEL • Case studies • By industry/sector• A-Z-list • Risk assessment • Health effects • Policy• Training• FAQ• Includes biological agents

Good Practice Information for sectors

• Agriculture http://osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/agriculture

• Construction http://osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/construction/

• Educationhttp://osha.eu.int/good_practice/education/

• Fisheries http://osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/fisheries/

• Health Care http://osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/healthcare/

Good Practice OEL Activities

• FAQs on OEL in Occupational Safety and Health Systems

• FAQs on types of OEL• Summary of MS information incl.

Internet links to Organizations• Non-MS information• Preparation of EU Indicative limit

values• Non Internet Sources Reference

Information

Challenge: Anticipating risks

Community strategy on health and safety at work 2002–2006

• Emphasises the need to build “a genuine culture of risk prevention, (…) to anticipate risks and bring them under control”

• Requires the Agency to “act as a driving force in matters concerning awareness-building and risk anticipation”

• Asks the Agency to create a Risk Observatory (RO), to provide forward-looking information for policy-makers

In response, 2 activities within the RO:• Identification of emerging risks

• Identification of OSH priorities

RISK OBSERVATORY- Objectives

• Provide an overview of OSH in Europe (no

benchmarking or country comparisons)

• Highlight trends on OSH outcomes and risk

factors

• Provide early identification of newly

emerging risks in the workplace

• Identify areas/issues where more

information needed

3 FUNCTIONS

• Monitoring (identify trends, changes and risk factors, based on data collecting and analysis)

Quantitative data

• Early warning (identify new issues through networks such as expert groups, labour inspection, company surveys.)

Qualitative data, research

• Clearing house (provide input for tools, based on good practice, for preventive action)

Good practice examples

Identification of emerging OSH risks

What are “emerging risks”? An emerging risk is both new and increasing.“New” means either that:• the risk was previously non-existent; or• a long-standing issue is now considered to be a risk

due to:– a change in social or public perceptions; or– new scientific knowledge.

The risk is “increasing” if:• the number of hazards leading to the risk is growing;• the likelihood of exposure to the hazard leading to the

risk is increasing; • the effect of the hazard on workers’ health is getting

worse.

Delphi studies

• Definition “emerging risks”

• Questionnaire for chemical and biological agents

– Risks-substances-products-procedures

– Health effects-diseases

– Supporting references

• Part of an overall assessment incl. also

– Physical and mechanical

– Human, social and organisational

Emerging chemical OSH risks

•Expert forecast:

Invited = 152 / Responses 1st round = 54 / 3rd round = 49

•Exposure to nanoparticles and ultrafine particles (MV=4,60) Nanoscale materials are increasingly being used in many

contexts, but their risks are not fully understood

•Validation and improvement of models of assessment for worker exposure to chemicals

Difficulties in assessing the exposure especially in PMEs (MV=4,39) and for outsourced activities (MV=4,34)

•Skin exposure (MV=4,11):

Measuring, modelling and risk assessment

•Exposure in waste treatment activities (MV=4,11)

•Lack of information on effects of reprotoxicants (MV=3,85)

OSH research priorities the EU

• At the Commission’s request, in 2004 the Agency prepared a short report on OSH priorities as input into the 7th FP

• The report focused on 4 areas:

– Psychosocial work environment

– Musculoskeletal disorders

– Dangerous substances

– OSH management

• Seeking consensus on research priorities

– Necessary basis to co-ordinate research programmes and to argue for increased funding and visibility

Risk observatory activities 2006-7

• Report on biological agents – pandemics• Report on emerging risks – chemical• Report on emerging risks – biological• Includes literature surveys related to

nanotechnologies, chemicals management, etc. • Data collection on skin problems and

respiratory diseases • Cooperation with SLIC on asbestos – current

risks

Visit our Webpages

• http://osha.eu.int/good_practice/risks/dangerous_substances

• http://osha.eu.int/good_practice/risks/ds/oel/• http://ew2003.osha.eu.int/

• http://osha.eu.int/research/rtopics/rds/

• http://riskobservatory.osha.eu.int/ • http://riskobservatory.osha.eu.int/risks/

chemical

Thankyou for your attention!

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