6. HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

Changes and developments since last year

• the HSE has launched new online guidelines on health surveillance;

• the TUC has demanded more stringent laws and better enforcement to prevent workers being exposed to carcinogens and dust;

• the HSE are to revise the ACOP to the COSHH Regulations by the end of 2013;

• the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2012 came into force on 11 May 2013;

• a new European Directive on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances (known as Seveso III) was published in July 2012 strengthening areas including public access to information and standards of inspection and requiring new UK COMAH Regulations on 1 June 2015;

• the HSE will consolidate five ACOPs on dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres into a single, revised ACOP (L138) by the end of 2013;

• the HSE will consolidate two asbestos ACOPs, The management of asbestos in non-domestic premises (L127) and Work with materials containing asbestos (L143), into a single revised ACOP by the end of 2013;

• the Department for Education has published new online asbestos management guidance for UK schools and colleges;

• the European Parliament has called for the removal of asbestos from all public buildings and buildings requiring public access by 2028;

• the HSE will make minor revisions to the ACOP on the Control of Lead at Work (L132) by the end of 2014;

• seven sets of domestic regulations supporting EU legislation on biocides, the export and import of hazardous chemicals (PIC) and the classification and labelling of chemicals (CLP) regulations will be simplified and consolidated into one new statutory instrument; and

• a Legislative Reform Order (LRO) will introduce a single set of regulations covering all contained-use work with human animal pathogens and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).