Worker protection and OSH legislation in the EU

Each year, an estimated figure of over 700,000 workers worldwide die prematurely due
to work-related cancer. In order to prevent mortality as well as occupational diseases, the
European Union has issued legislation addressing the safe use of chemical agents at the
workplace, notably carcinogenic and mutagenic substances. This occupational health and
safety legislation requires employers to assess the risks of chemical agents, take adequate
measures to minimize these risks and develop a coherent prevention policy. The scope of
this legislation is quite broad, covering any chemical agent which may present a risk to the
safety and health of workers. In any event, exposure may not exceed the “occupational
exposure limit value.” The idea of these limit values is that, as long as the exposure of
workers stays below the established limit, no adverse health effects are expected to occur.
For various carcinogens and mutagens, there is no totally safe threshold. In this case,
exposure should be limited to what is technically achievable. Compliance with the legisla-
tion is enforced by the national labour inspectorate of the respective Member States.