24/10/2005
- A study on the benefits of REACH for workers' health commissioned
by the European Trade Union Confederation's (ETUC) research
institute and done by the University of Sheffield, shows
that REACH would help avoid 50,000 cases of occupational
respiratory diseases and 40,000 cases of occupational skin
diseases from exposure to dangerous chemicals in Europe
each year.
According to the study, that would add up to total average
savings of 3.5 billion euros over 10 years for the EU-25.
The savings would boost social security coffers through
reduced sickness benefit payments, while workers would enjoy
health-related quality of life gains, and employers in all
sectors would avoid productivity losses from sickness absenteeism.
WWF believes further benefits
are to be expected through reduction of other types of
occupational diseases, as well as benefits derived from
re-gained consumers' trust and a healthier environment.
The study was presented on Monday 17th October in the
European Parliament.
The lead rapporteur on REACH, Guido Sacconi, said "this
important study gives a salutary reminder that while REACH
may have a cost, benefits are also to be expected in terms
of human health, especially that of workers, and that
is one of the key aims of the reform".
WWF coincides with ETUC in saying
that the potential benefits of REACH depend very much
on the information the REACH system would produce both
on the hazards of chemicals, and on how the risks related
to their uses would be managed.
This highlights the need for safety information on all
chemicals, a Chemical Safety Report and a legally binding
duty of care, something WWF has been calling for since
REACH was being developed.
"Thousands of people are exposed
to chemicals in the workplace every day. And regardless
of the production volume, without basic safety information
on these substances, the risks cannot be assessed'', said
WWFs DetoX Campaign Director, Karl Wagner.
That is why WWF calls on the European Parliament voting
on REACH in 4 weeks to ensure that:
deliver safer chemicals in daily
use for citizens, consumers, workers and the environment;
identify and control harmful chemicals with effective
and systematic procedures;
promote suitable safer alternatives to replace chemicals
of very high concerns. |
