Safety at work: protection of workers against exposure to carcinogens agents

In adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mrs Outi OJALA (GUE/NGL, FIN), the European Parliament approved the common position of the Council on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work while proposing several amendments already approved at first reading: - it repeated its request that the Commission should simplify the possibilities for setting limit values for carcinogens, particularly those for which limit values based on health grounds have already been obtained from scientific studies; limit values should be set as quickly as possible for all substances listed as class 1 and 2 carcinogens in Annex VI to Directive 67/548/EEC; - it expressed concern about the carcinogenic effects of arsenic and arsenic compounds, saying that they should be added to the Community priority list of substances for scientific evaluation in order to set limit values as soon as possible; - it again proposed a uniform measuring procedure for determining the limit value for benzene in the air. It also wanted: - removal of the transition measures advocated by the Council in its common position for setting a limit value for benzene which could be applied after three years after incorporation of the directive into national law (or six years after its entry into force throughout the Community); - the Member States to incorporate the directive into national law before 31 December 1998 at the latest (and not three years after its entry into force). �