Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 2022
Health effects of RCS exposure - reduced OEL
Dublin Core
Title
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 2022
Health effects of RCS exposure - reduced OEL
Health effects of RCS exposure - reduced OEL
Subject
Health effects of RCS exposure - reduced OEL
Description
Introduction: The EU Commission announced in 2017 a binding
occupational exposure level for respirable crystalline silica. Bind-
ings OELs are legally binding for the EU member countries, and
Norway is, due to the European Economic Agreement, committed
to follow the regulations.
Materials and Methods: All OEL audits in Norway are treated in the
same way. The Labour Inspectorate delegates to a committee (TEAN) at the National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI) to perform a toxicological and epidemiological evaluation of the literature used as background for the binding OEL. These assessments are an important part of the background material used during discussions of a new limit value with the social partners. Newer references are collected, and other countries’ evaluations are also surveilled.
Results: The literature reviews gave evidence that the binding OEL
for crystalline silica would give a disproportionately high risk of
occupational disease given 40 years of exposure 40 hours a week.
TEAN therefore recommended that the Labour Inspectorate assess
whether the Norwegian OEL should be set lower than the binding
EU level. After discussions between the Labour Inspectorate and the
social partners the Norwegian limit value was halved July 2021.
Conclusions: The EU binding OELs are based on knowledge about
health effects from exposure, but also on technical and economical
circumstances. In addition, the agreed binding level shall suit all EU
countries. The extra workload of a literature review and documen-
tation of health effects may give national workers an extra security.
occupational exposure level for respirable crystalline silica. Bind-
ings OELs are legally binding for the EU member countries, and
Norway is, due to the European Economic Agreement, committed
to follow the regulations.
Materials and Methods: All OEL audits in Norway are treated in the
same way. The Labour Inspectorate delegates to a committee (TEAN) at the National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI) to perform a toxicological and epidemiological evaluation of the literature used as background for the binding OEL. These assessments are an important part of the background material used during discussions of a new limit value with the social partners. Newer references are collected, and other countries’ evaluations are also surveilled.
Results: The literature reviews gave evidence that the binding OEL
for crystalline silica would give a disproportionately high risk of
occupational disease given 40 years of exposure 40 hours a week.
TEAN therefore recommended that the Labour Inspectorate assess
whether the Norwegian OEL should be set lower than the binding
EU level. After discussions between the Labour Inspectorate and the
social partners the Norwegian limit value was halved July 2021.
Conclusions: The EU binding OELs are based on knowledge about
health effects from exposure, but also on technical and economical
circumstances. In addition, the agreed binding level shall suit all EU
countries. The extra workload of a literature review and documen-
tation of health effects may give national workers an extra security.
Creator
Merete Drevvatne Bugge
Publisher
Elsevier Korea LLC
Date
January 2022
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 2022
Files
Citation
Merete Drevvatne Bugge, “Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 2022
Health effects of RCS exposure - reduced OEL,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 4, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2446.
Health effects of RCS exposure - reduced OEL,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 4, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2446.