English translation of advisory report Voorlopige nanoreferentiewaarden voor synthetische nanomaterialen (2012/01)
In the spring of 2009, the Working Conditions Committee of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands presented its advisory report entitled Nanoparticles in the Workplace: Health and Safety Precautions.
There is still much uncertainty concerning the potential impact that exposure to such particles may have on health. That is why health-based OELs (occupational exposure limits) have not been set so far.
The social partners have continued to study this issue. With the increasing use of ENPs (engineered nanoparticles) in products and the associated potential danger to health, health risks must be avoided. Normally, occupational exposure is assessed by comparing the level of exposure to an acceptable occupational exposure limit, which is also a desirable procedure for airborne nanoparticles. The current state of scientific knowledge is too limited to derive health-based occupational exposure limits for nanoparticles. A provisional nano reference value based on the precautionary principle offers an alternative solution to this problem.
Regarding these provisional nano reference values (NRVs), the Committee presents several recommendations in this advisory report (see Section 3), for the consideration of both government and social partners.
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