Introduction
Asbestos is a widely used constituent in buildings and building materials, machines, transport vehicles and consumer products. Asbestos has a known historical use going back at least 4500 years when it was added as a…
Introduction
The presence of biological agents in occupational environments is an important health and social problem. Micro- and macroorganisms and the structures and substances they produce may exert a harmful influence upon…
Introduction
Biological agents have a ubiquitous presence in the environment and are found in many sectors. As they are rarely visible, the risks they pose are not always appreciated, but exposure may lead to include acute and…
Introduction
Biological monitoring (biomonitoring) in occupational safety and health is the detection of substances (biomarkers) in biological samples of workers, compared to reference values. This article is limited to chemical…
Introduction
Cancer remains a major cause of death in the European Union (EU). Yet, around 40% of cancer cases can be prevented through behavioural and structural changes. The 5th edition of European Code Against…
Introduction
Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances are often referred to as a group, due to the fact that a substance may present all three types of hazards but also due to similarities in classification and in legal…
Introduction
Nearly all industries, including the agri-food industry and the service industry, use chemicals in variable amounts and must therefore store them, as well as the produced chemical waste before disposal. Safe storage of…
Introduction
The discourse on workplace hazards caused by dangerous substances often prioritises chemical agents, but the significance of biological agents is is frequently overlooked, despite their ubiquitous presence across various…
Background and scope of guidelines
These non-binding guidelines aim to help employers and workers to stay safe and healthy in a working environment that has changed significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They give advice on:…
Background and scope of guidance
On 11th March 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as pandemic. The European Commission is working together with the WHO and Member State public health…
