In 2004, the EU institutions took the initiative to revive the last part of the old “physical agents” draft directive, which had been frozen since 1992. The proposal, which seeks to regulate the exposure of workers to optical radiations (i.e. IR and UV radiations, either artificial or natural such as sunlight), had been brought to the table, without carrying out either an impact assessment (e.g. there are no tabled statistics of reported accidents due to optical radiations), thereby completely flouting the Commission’s much publicised Better Regulation principles. The dossier is currently under examination in second reading by a completely new legislature of the European Parliament.

Orgalime has fewer concerns compared to the previous “physical agents” directive on occupational exposure to EMF: these are mainly focused on the need to refer more widely to existing IEC standards (e.g.

 

 

for lasers) and other Low Voltage or Machinery directives harmonised standards (for all other equipment), so that manufacturers will not be indirectly obliged to provide their customers/employers with a specific risk assessments for optical radiation.


To ensure that regulation in this area makes full use of international standards already widely used by industry and that regulators do not introduce yet more administrative burdens on companies.

Orgalime, working jointly with its sister social organisation CEEMET, is aiming at decreasing as much as possible the additional administrative burden that this new directive will inevitably impose on business, especially SMEs in the mechanical and metal working fields.

International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection: ICNIRP

 

Picture Courtesy of Bosch