If carcinogens are present in the workplace, employers must do everything they can to prevent employees from coming into contact with them.
Promote a culture of health and safety in your workplace!
General approach to risk management of carcinogens
In accordance with the definition of “carcinogenic” in Article 2 a) of the CMR Directive.
The first steps in combating exposure to carcinogens at work should always include:
- Please note that minimum standards for work organisation and safety requirements should always apply. However, these may not be sufficient and additional measures may be necessary.
- List all carcinogenic substances used and their quantities
- Collect their safety data sheets
- Describe the tasks in which they are used, and be sure to consider any potential carcinogens generated by the process.
- Identify which employees may be exposed and for how long
- Take all of the above into account when preparing your workplace risk assessment
When giving instructions to your employees, remember:
- Always use simple and clear language, short and direct sentences.
- Aim for a clean design in written instructions
- Add illustrations/diagrams where possible
STOP principle: what you should take into account
The STOP principle describes the order of priority of protective measures. The employer must observe this order of priority when determining and applying protective measures. The individual letters STOP stand for different types of protective measures: S … Substitution - replacing hazardous substances with less hazardous substances or processes. Substitution is always the first measure to be considered.
More information about Substitution
T … Technical measures - from closed systems to effective air extraction, many techniques help to drastically reduce exposure to carcinogens.
More information about Technical measures
O … Organizational measures - may include internal policies and/or organizational methods. These measures should only be used to provide additional protection. They should also be considered for emergencies and for employees who regularly perform cleaning and maintenance tasks.
More information about Organisational measures
P … Personal protection - sometimes replacement is not possible and technical and organizational measures are not sufficient. Then you must use personal protection.
