The Socialists and Democrats voted today in the European Parliament for more and better protection of workers from the risks related to the exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work. It is the third and last revision in this parliamentary term.
Marita Ulvskog, S&D negotiator on this report, said:
“It is extremely important that the work on health and safety in the workplace continues to move forward. Companies in Europe should not compete on the basis of workers’ lives and health risks. The new rules are expected to improve the health of over 1 million workers and prevent over 22.000 cases of work-related illness.”
Agnes Jongerius, S&D Group spokesperson on employment and social affairs, added:
“It is crucial to put health before economic concerns. We Socialists and Democrats are at the forefront to ensure that the level of risk prevention from the exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work meets an ambitious standard of science. Our aim is to protect the life and health of European workers, as we did today in the European Parliament.”
Note to the editors:
The new rules introduce limit values for inhalation exposure for two substances (formaldehyde and 4,4'-methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline)) and three groups of substances (cadmium and its inorganic compounds; beryllium and its inorganic compounds; and arsenic acid and its salts, as well as inorganic arsenic compounds).
