The Official Journal of the European Union published the sixth revision of Directive 2004/37/EC on the protection of workers from carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic substances at work as Directive (EU) 2026/2450.
The preamble notes that setting occupational exposure limits takes into account not only scientific and health considerations but also socio-economic factors, which in some cases justifies transitional periods.
The revision covers cobalt and inorganic cobalt compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 1,4-dioxane and welding fumes. It also adds isoprene to the substances covered.
IARC classifies welding fumes as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). The new text adds work involving exposure to welding fumes containing carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substances to Annex I of the directive.
The Commission has estimated the measures could prevent about 1,700 lung cancer cases and 19,000 other illnesses over the next 40 years, according to the Irish government.
