One of the main human rights is right to health protection and right to satisfactory work conditions. Likewise meeting the criteria for safety and health at the workplaceis possible by respecting the legal rules and regulations.
Over 4,000 hazardous chemicals are in use in the Slovak market. With a significant volume found at workplaces, evaluating their impact on employees becomes crucial. Ensuring work safety and health protection is imperative.
Employer Obligations Regarding Workplace Chemical Safety and Risk Assessment
- monitor dangerous chemical factors at the workplace
- assess the risk
- exclude the risk of dangerous chemical factor
- assign the monitoring of chemical factors
- elaborate a risk assessment
Protection of workers’ health – EU
There are three main types of Occupational Exposure Limit Values:
- Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values (IOELVs)
- Binding Occupational Exposure Limit Values (BOELVs)
- Biological Limit Values (BLVs)
Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values
Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values, which stem from recent scientific data, establish safe exposure thresholds. These values are health-oriented and consider measurement techniques, guarding against harm during a working life.
Art 3 (3) Council Directive 98/24/EC
The Directives:
*Council Directive 98/24/EC, on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work
Þ Commission Directive 2000/39/EC, establishing a first list of indicative occupational exposure limit values
*Delegation Directive 2006/15/EC, establishing a second list of indicative occupational exposure limit values
Þ Commission Directive 2009/161/EU, establishing a third list of indicative occupational exposure limit values
* Directive 91/322/EEC, which was based on an earlier legal framework (Directive 80/1107/EEC), is still in force
Binding Occupational Exposure Limit Values
BOELVs take account of socio-economic and technical feasibility factors as well as the factors considered when establishing IOELVs. As a result, when setting a BOELV policy considerations are of major importance.
Art 3 (4) Council Directive 98/24/EC
For any chemical agent for which a BOELV value is established at EU level, Member States must establish a corresponding national binding OEL value which can be stricter, but cannot exceed the Community limit value.
Art 3 (5) Council Directive 98/24/EC
Biological Limit Values
That is to say a Biological Limit Value is a reference value presented as the concentration in the appropriate biological medium of the relevant agent, its metabolite, or indicator of effect.
Art 2 (e) Council Directive 98/24/EC
For any chemical agent for which a Binding BLVs is established at EU level, Member States must establish a corresponding national binding BLV based on, but cannot exceed the Community limit value.
Art 3 (7) Council Directive 98/24/EC
To date there is only one binding BLV, that of inorganic lead and its compounds (Annex I Council Directive 98/24/EC)
