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date: 17 April 2002 embargo: For immediate use

Attention: Health and safety media

TUC welcomes MEPs’ ‘toughest approach yet’ to asbestos

Responding to the European Parliament vote on asbestos last Thursday (11 April 2002), TUC General Secretary John Monks said:

'The European Parliament has taken a major step forward in proposing the toughest controls yet on asbestos. A public register of asbestos in public buildings has been a trade union demand for many years, and it is the best way to protect repair, removal and renovation workers from the fatal fibre.

'MEPs have also proposed tough but realistic controls on exposure to asbestos which will dramatically reduce the amount of the fatal fibre workers are at risk of breathing in.'

The European Parliament’s proposed exposure limits would reduce British exposure limits by between half and two thirds, depending on the type of asbestos concerned. The decision was heavily influenced by British MEPs from both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson on health and safety Liz Lynne MEP said: "There is clear evidence that asbestos is so dangerous to health that we need to lower the maximum exposure limits to protect people from the risk of fatal disease. And we must ensure that companies all over Europe follow the same standards of protection - to ensure fair
competition and to protect the health of workers.'

MEP Claude Moraes, Labour Spokesman on Social Affairs in the European Parliament, explained, 'Millions of tonnes of asbestos are found in the world around us, in walls, roof spaces, roads, sewers and vehicles. Few schools built in the UK during the 50's and 60's are without asbestos. Workers involved in demolition or maintenance work - electricians, plumbers, carpenters and many others - will continue to come across asbestos in the course of their work for years to come. There is no safe level of exposure.'

Notes to editors

The European Parliament agreed last Thursday a report from the Portuguese MEP Elisa Damiao containing a series of amendments to a draft EU directive on protecting workers from asbestos. The TUC worked closely with British MEPs from the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, and with Ms Damiao (a former trade union official) to draft the proposals. The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers will now consider the Parliament’s proposed amendments before the Directive is adopted.

The key amendments proposed by the European Parliament are:

Article 8 (Directive 83/477/EEC)

Employers shall ensure that no worker is exposed to an airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of:

(a) 0.1 fibres per cm3 as a 4-hour time weighted average (TWA),

(b) 0.05 fibres per cm3 as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) in the case of:

- demolition work,

- removal work,

- repair work,

- maintenance work,

with the exception of asbestos cement.

Article 16 b (new) ( Directive 83/477/EEC)

17b. The following article shall be inserted:

'Member States shall set up a national registry of public buildings and of industrial and commercial buildings and sites containing asbestos."

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Press release (600 words) issued 17 Apr 2002