The European Union has published new rules to further improve the protection of workers from the health risks linked to the exposure to dangerous chemicals as lead and diisocyanates.

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On 19 March, new rules were published in the Official Journal of the European Union, to enhance protection for workers from health risks associated with exposure to dangerous chemicals such as lead and diisocyanates.

Concretely the new rules, as part of the continuous revision of occupational health and safety legislation, amends two directives:

• for lead, Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances at work
• for lead and diisocyanates, the Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work

The new exposure limits for lead will help prevent health issues affecting reproductive functions and foetal development, while the limits for diisocyanates will prevent occupational asthma and respiratory diseases.

The directive also addresses workers with historic exposure and aims to improve the protection of women of childbearing age, facing additional risks.

Moreover, the Commission, working closely with EU agencies on chemicals (ECHA) and on health and safety at work (EU-OSHA), would provide guidelines to facilitate the implementation of the directive, covering aspects such as on the effects of exposure to a combination of substances, and on health surveillance and biological monitoring.

Background

The publication of the directive follows interinstitutional discussions on the Commission’s proposal adopted on 8 February 2023, approval of the European Parliament and adoption by the Council.

The directive will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union on 19 March 2024. After that, Member States will have two years to transpose the new provisions into their national legislations.

The directive delivers on the commitment made under the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work for 2021-2027 to reduce workers' exposure to hazardous chemicals and will benefit to about 100,000 workers exposed to lead in the EU, and 4.2 million workers exposed to diisocyanates.