What does the law say?
Definitions
- Chemical agent
- — any chemical element or compound, pure or in a mixture, that occurs in nature, is used or is released during an occupational activity.
- Hazardous chemical agent
- — an agent that, by its intrinsic properties, can cause significant damage to people, installations or the environment even in small quantities.
- Exposure
- — the degree of contact of the body with the chemical agent via the respiratory tract, the skin and mucous membranes or digestion.
- SDS / MSDS
- — safety data sheets.
- REACH
- — Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals.
- CLP
- — Classification, Labelling and Packaging.
In summary
- The employer checks whether hazardous chemical agents may be present at the workplace.
- If so, they document the risks in a risk evaluation.
- The worker has access to the safety data sheets.
- The employer takes the necessary prevention measures to reduce the risks to a minimum.
- Some chemical agents are prohibited on the shop floor without authorisation.
- The workers concerned receive training and information, adapted whenever circumstances change.
Legal text
“The employer ensures that the Committee and the workers concerned receive training and information on appropriate precautionary measures to protect themselves and others. This information is provided in a way appropriate to the risk evaluation — from oral communication to individual instruction with written support — and is always adapted to changed circumstances.”
REACH Regulation (EC No 1907/2006)
CLP Regulation (EC No 1272/2008)