Safety and security at work: protection from the risks related to exposure to asbestos (amend. Directive 83/477/EEC)

PURPOSE: to present a Commission proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 83/477/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work. CONTENT: The main aspects of the proposal for amending Directive 83/477/EEC are the following: 1) Scope: sea and air transport should no longer be excluded from the scope of the Directive, in order to ensure that all workers have the same level of protection. 2) Definition of the various types of fibrous silicates: they have been re-defined either in mineralogocal terms or with regards to their Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number. 3) Simplification in the event of limited exposure: it is proposed to replace the action level in the original Directive with particular work situations which suggest that exposure of workers is insignificant in respect to the exposure limit value proposed. Other proposed changes relate to, inter alia, measuring asbestos content in air; exposure limit values for workers; determining the presence of asbestos in buildings; company responsibility and practical recommendation for health examination of workers.�