Demand for elimination of cancer-causing chemicals
The firefighters’ network of European public services union EPSU is calling for stronger laws to eliminate cancer-causing substances (carcinogens), mutagens — which cause permanent changes in genetic material — and reprotoxins, which can affect fertility, conception and early childhood development.
Firefighters also want protection before, during and after incidents involving such chemicals.
EPSU says the “precautionary” and “substitution” principles embedded in the European REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) regulation is fundamental to ensuring that substances of very high concern are phased out of the market and that new substances do not aggravate the current situation.
EPSU also wants governments to recognise cancer among firefighters as an occupational disease and is demanding that the scope of the European carcinogens and mutagens directive is extended to cover reprotoxic substances.
In January, the European Parliament, Council and Commission reached a provisional agreement to revise the directive and set occupational exposure limits for five more cancer-causing chemicals: cadmium and its inorganic compounds; beryllium and inorganic beryllium compounds; arsenic acid and its salts, as well as inorganic arsenic compounds; formaldehyde; and 4,4’-Methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline).
Exposure to these substances arises in sectors including cadmium production and refining, nickel-cadmium battery manufacture, mechanical plating, zinc and copper smelting, foundries, glass, laboratories, electronics, chemicals, construction, healthcare, plastics and recycling.
Agreement on this third proposal to broaden the list of recognised cancer-causing chemicals in the workplace will extend the directive to cover 27 cancer-causing chemicals by May 2019.