Health & Safety News Brief
Occupational Health & Safety Information Service
Ireland's HSA consultation on draft Asbestos Regulations and Dangerous Substances and Preparations Marketing and Use Regulations is now closed
The HSA launched a public consultation process on the proposed new Asbestos Regulations, with the publication on its website of the draft Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Protection of Employees) (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006.
The regulations, which will transpose for the first time Directive 2003/18/EC, will repeal and replace the existing sets of Asbestos Regulations.
The key provision of the regulations will see the introduction of a of a new single lower exposure limit value. Employers shall be required to ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of 0.1 fibres per cm3 (that is to the power of 3) as an eight hour time-weighted average.
Employers must not undertake work that would expose or be liable to expose an employee (the duties also extend to non-employees) to dust from asbestos or asbestos containing material unless they have carried out a suitable and sufficient assessment as to whether asbestos or asbestos containing materials and what type of asbestos is present.
When work undertaken is deemed to be sporadic and low intensity, the notification, health assessment and medical records requirements may be waived.
The draft regulations can be downloaded from the Authority’s website www.hsa.ie Click on consultation and follow links.
The closing date and time for submissions was 5pm on 6 June 2006. Unlike in other recent consultations, the Authority has not published its draft guidance on proposed regulations.
HSA publishes draft Dangerous Substances and Preparations Marketing and Use Regulations
The HSA has published draft European Communities (Dangerous Substances and Preparations) (Marketing and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2006. The Authority is inviting public comment on the draft regulations, which can be downloaded from its website www.hsa.ie.
Visit the website, click on consultation and follow the links.
The closing date and time for submissions was 5pm was 6 June 2006.
The proposed regulations are intended to transpose a series of EU Directives, 2005/59/EC, 2005/69/EC, 2005/84/EC and 2005/90/EC in Irish national law. The proposed regulations will result in amendments to Schedules 1 and 3 of 2003 Regulations (SI 220/03) and are concerned with substances such as toluene, tricchlorobenzene and phthalates, amongst others.
The new rules will come into effect over a period from June 2007 onwards.