ECHA announces the targeting of chemical safety for workers by next EU enforcement project

The safety of workers will be inspected by 28 EU and EEA Member States. The key element of the project will be to investigate the quality of the safety data sheets that contain guidelines on the safe use of hazardous substances.

Inspectors will check if the extended safety data sheets match the information established by the chemical safety reports (CSRs) that substance manufacturers prepare. They will also go through the exposure scenarios attached to the safety data sheets. An exposure scenario describes the amount and character of exposure to its hazards when a substance is manufactured or used for its destined purposes. It also advises how the exposure of humans and release to the environment can be controlled.

One of the objectives of this enforcement project is to ensure that workers handling hazardous chemicals, especially those dealing with substances of very high concern, receive sufficient and correct safety information. The project will also map how effectively extended safety data sheets are passed on and communicated all the way through the supply chain, i.e. from manufacturers of chemicals to the users.