Regulations for the protection of workers against the effects of hazardous substances at the workplace

This article describes the central legal rules regarding the protection of the health and safety of workers against hazardous substances. As placing of chemicals on the market is covered by the European Regulation REACH and the upcoming GHS which are directly effective in Germany, the European directives according to occupational safety and health, chemical agents as well as carcinogens and mutagens at the workplace have to be implemented into national laws. In Germany these are the Labour Protection Law and the Hazardous Substances Ordinance. They define the duties of employers handling hazardous substances. Because these duties are described at an abstract level, there are more precise guidelines in a body of regulations below the laws. As not each occupational action can be included in those regulations, it is the central obligation of the employer to conduct an assessment of the special working conditions and to establish adequate risk mitigation measures. Comprehensive data sheets which must be provided by the producer, manufacturer or importer of the substance support the employer. The workers have extensive rights when handling hazardous substances especially to receive necessary information.