Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 Proposals for Maximum Exposure Limits and Occupational Exposure Standards

Consultation ended 7 June 2002

Summary

The Health and Safety Commission would like your comments on proposals for occupational exposure limits (OELs) for chemical substances. A form is included at the back of this booklet to help you do this. It repeats the questions set out at appropriate points in the text below.

his consultative document contains proposals on 8 different substances or groups of substances. These are:

• three new Maximum Exposure Limits (MELs) for substances formerly assigned Occupational Exposure Standards (OESs): chloroethane, hydroquinone and manganese and its inorganic compounds (1) ;
• withdrawal of five OESs for: glycidyl ethers (2,3-epoxypropyl ethers);
• withdrawal of an OES for subtilisins (proteolytic enzymes as 100% pure crystalline enzyme);
• withdrawal of an OES for sulphuric acid;
• no change to OES for para-phenylenediamine, but introduction of a skin notation for this substance; and
• narrowing of the criteria for applying one OES: mineral oil mists in order to exclude metal working fluids (for which separate HSE guidance is planned).