Safety and health of workers: protection against risk from explosive atmospheres

PURPOSE : to extend explosion protection to all industrial sectors and to supplement the existing directive concerning equipment and protective systems (daughter directive of Council Directive 89/391/EEC on workers' health and safety). COMMUNITY MEASURE : Directive 1999/92/EC on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres (15th individual directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC). CONTENT : The Directive places a number of obligations on employers : a general duty to prevent and protect against explosions, the duty to produce and maintain an 'explosion protection document' (a health and safety plan for explosion protection measures providing detailed information about the steps taken), a duty to classify places where explosive atmospheres may occur into zones (based on the nature of such an atmosphere, the frequency and duration of its occurrence and an assessment of its anticipated effects). Dangerous areas in the workplace will have to be signposted with a prescribed European warning sign. The Commission has been mandated to draw up practical guidelines in the form of a non-binding guide of good practice. Member States shall take the greatest possible account of this guide in drawing up their national policies for the protection of the health and safety of workers. They shall also, on request, endeavour to make relevant information available to employers. ENTRY INTO FORCE: 28/01/2000. Member States must transpose the Directive into national legislation by 30/06/2003 at the latest.�