Directive 2017/2398: what’s new?
On December 27th 2017, European Directive 2017/2398 has been published. This directive updates Annex III that contains the occupational exposure limit values by adding new entries and editing some values that were already specified in Directive 2004/37/CE. Moreover, Directive 2017/2398 modifies article 14 concerning the health surveillance of workers and inserts article 18a. The latter takes into consideration the possibility of amending the scope of Directive 2017/2398 in order to include reprotoxic substances. The same article states also that “The Commission shall also evaluate the need to modify the limit value for respirable crystalline silica dust”, applying possible modifications in future Directives.
Some exposure limit values indicated in this directive are not linked to single substances but they refer to a multiplicity of compounds or to a particular physical state of them. Examples of these generic groups are:
- Chromium (VI) compounds which are carcinogens within the meaning of point (i) of Article 2(a) (as chromium)
- Respirable crystalline silica dust.
Directive 2017/2398 came into force on January 16th 2018, therefore member States have time until January 17th 2020 to adopt this update.
To read the full text of Directive 2017/2398 follow the link:
