OPTICAL RADIATION DIRECTIVE : EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES OPTICAL RADIATION DIRECTIVE.

• Position: Brief article

The European Parliament on 14 February approved an EU Directive designed to protect workers from exposure to optical radiation at third reading (see Europolitics 3012). MEPs voted 570 votes in favour, 16 against with 49 abstentions. The Council has accepted Parliament's key demand that the legislation should cover only artificial sources of optical radiation and not natural sources such as the sun. The Parliament says that the widely used term 'sunshine directive' is therefore now completely inappropriate.

The directive lays down minimum standards for the prevention and early diagnosis of damage to the eyes and skin from optical radiation, and for the prevention of long-term health dangers. It sets exposure limit values and requires employers to carry out risk assessments. It also includes provisions on workers' rights to information, training, consultation and health checks.

Agreement was reached on most aspects of the directive at an early stage but...