The Netherlands Labour Authority have updated their document on exposure to diesel engine emissions (‘Blootstelling aan dieselmotoremissies (DME)’; in Dutch) to match the current states of technology.The guide is applicable to activities or workplaces where employees are exposed to diesel engine emissions, and forms the basis for enforcement by The Netherlands Labour Authority.
The Guide
The guide contains certain questions and answers on:
1. How to recognise danger
- Can workers be exposed to diesel engine emissions?
2. Assess risks based on the measures
- Is replacement technically feasible?
- Have measures at the source been taken to limit DME emissions?
- Have other measures been taken to limit exposure to DME?
- Has exposure to DME been assessed?
The final section of the guide refers to the legalities of DME with a table stating enforcement instructions.
About Diesel Engine Emissions
Diesel engine emissions are classified as a genotoxic carcinogen. This means that every level of exposure to diesel engine emissions poses a health risk. Diesel engine emissions are formed during the combustion of diesel oil in engines. Exposure to them could take place when using diesel engines in an enclosed space or outside when work has to be carried out in the immediate vicinity of the place where the emissions are released.
To describe the technically feasible measures, this instruction includes:
- The Occupational Health and Safety Catalog of the mobility sector
- The German TRGS 554, ‘Abgase von Dieselmotors’ (January 2019)
- “A-sheet Dieselmotoremission (DME)”, version 2018, published by Volandis. This A-sheet contains the agreements that employers and employees in construction have made with regard to controlling exposure to diesel engine emissions, taking into account the state of science and professional services.
RoC Factsheet
The Roadmap on Carcinogens have a full factsheet about diesel engine emissions/exhausts. You can view it here: The Facts on Diesel engine exhaust
