|
25 August 2005 - FMB Report Claims
Employers will be Liable for Skin Cancers
Navigation
A report by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) condemns the
proposed EU Optical Radiation Directive and states that it is "over-regulating"
and will leave employers liable for skin cancers of outdoor workers, which could
have been caused by overseas holidays and not merely as a result of working
outdoors.
However, the EU Directive states "employers of outdoor workers
will not be expected to measure exposure to the sun". They will,
however, be expected to assess the risks with the aid of the Health and Safety
Executive's (HSE's) Guidance and record the results.
Mr. Andrew Large, FMB Director of External Affairs said of the
proposed Directive:
"Skin cancer is a serious matter, and the FMB would encourage
construction workers to cover-up in the sun, but while the EU directive is
well-intentioned, it is totally unenforceable.
"The proposed requirement for employers to regulate their
workers' exposure to sunlight is completely impractical. Requiring them to do so
would not only cause great difficulty to tens of thousands of construction
businesses in the UK, it would also make them liable for something over which
they have little control."
The HSE say they do not expect negative competition effects when
the proposals are transposed into UK law.
A vote by MEP's on the Directive will take place on 6 September,
2005.
The proposals for the Directive can be viewed in pdf format by
clicking the following:
Proposal for a Physical Agents (Optical Radiation) Directive
Article by Alexandra Johnston
 Click Here to
Email This Article To a Friend
|
