By Gemma Lougheed - 13th July 2005
MEPs have backed a directive to protect workers from solar radiation.
The European Parliament’s employment and social committee voted yesterday in favour of a final version of legislation which will allow EU member states to legislate on the risks of solar radiation at work.
The decision has been welcomed by many as it was previously criticised for its insinuation that protection from natural radiation should be harmonised at an EU level.
"This is a victory for common sense, it is no business of the EU to decide whether workers can wear shorts and be bare-chested. I wanted to take natural radiation out of the directive completely but we now have the next best thing, leaving it up to Member States,” said Liz Lynne, Liberal Democrat MEP and shadow rapporteur for the optical radiation directive who negotiated this compromise.
“Introducing prescriptive obligations at European level on exposure to sunlight would have done nothing to help the EU’s reputation," said said Hans-Werner Müller, secretary general of the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
"MEPs have taken a sensible approach to this directive by leaving it up to member states to decide whether or not more measures are necessary to address the potential risks of solar radiation.”
“There is clearly a risk from over-exposure to sunlight but this risk varies dramatically across Europe. Given the risk from exposure to sunlight affects all members of the public when they are outdoors, it would be better addressed by the provision of adequate information both to employees and the general public at national level,” said Müller.
The original proposal introduced additional obligations (action plans amd evaluation procedure) on small firms that may have deterred employers from recruiting.
Employers could even have been responsible in the long term in cases where unexplained illnesses related to sun exposure appear even if it could not be possible to determine the exclusive origin or time of exposure.
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