Dangerous substances – meaning any liquid, gas or solid that poses a risk to
workers’ health or safety – can be found in nearly all workplaces. Across
Europe, millions of workers come into contact with chemical and biological
agents that can harm them.

According to recent research, 19 % of EU workers report being exposed to toxic
vapours for a quarter or more of their working time, while 15 % of workers have
to handle dangerous substances as part of their daily work.

If the risks of using dangerous substances are not properly managed, workers’
health can be harmed in a variety of ways, with effects ranging from mild eye
and skin irritations to asthma, reproductive problems and birth defects, and
cancer. This can be through a single short exposure, or multiple exposures and
long-term accumulation of substances in the body.

By law, employers in the EU must protect their workers from being harmed by
dangerous substances in the workplace. Employers must carry out risk
assessments, and act on them. Legislation also governs the identification and
labelling of the thousands of different substances that are registered in the
EU market.

Reducing the risks of working with dangerous substances is not just a moral and
legal imperative – there is a strong business case for it as well.
Organisations can suffer when things go wrong, – through lost productivity, and
increased liability to prosecution and claims for compensation -, as well as
workers.

Fortunately, a large amount of guidance is available for employers and workers
in dealing with dangerous substances. And across Europe, there are many
examples of good practice to learn from.

By taking appropriate action, workers can be kept safe while using dangerous
substances.

Employers are also obliged to provide workers with information on the risks
posed by hazardous substances, and training in how to use them safely.
Regulations apply both to marketed products and to the waste and by-products
resulting from production processes.

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AplusA-online.de - Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work