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Asbestos in the European Union
A recent proposal by the European Commission would lower the asbestos occupational exposure limit in the European Union from 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter as an eight-hour time-weighted average to 0.01 f/cm3. The current OEL was adopted in 2003. Information from the proposal appears below and in NewsWatch.
From “Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council Amending Directive 2009/148/EC on the Protection of Workers from the Risks Related to Exposure to Asbestos at Work”:
“While extracting, manufacturing and processing asbestos is prohibited, a substantial legacy problem exists across the EU, representing a public and occupational health challenge, since asbestos is still present in many older buildings, which are likely to be renovated, adapted or demolished over the upcoming years.”
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SOURCES
European Commission: “Commission Acts to Better Protect People from Asbestos and Ensure an Asbestos-Free Future” (September 2022).
European Commission: “Communication on Working Towards an Asbestos-Free Future: A European Approach to Addressing the Health Risks of Asbestos” (PDF, September 2022).
European Commission: “Factsheet: Protecting People from Asbestos” (PDF, September 2022).
European Commission: “Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council Amending Directive 2009/148/EC on the Protection of Workers from the Risks Related to Exposure to Asbestos at Work” (PDF, September 2022).