Cobalt Institute Advocates for Pragmatic EU Occupational Exposure Limits

The Cobalt Institute emphasizes the crucial role of cobalt in Europe's green initiatives and calls for EU-wide cobalt occupational exposure limit (OEL) values to support the industry's growth. Despite supporting the introduction of OEL values, the Institute recommends a 20 µg Co/m3 (inhalable) and 5 µg Co/m3 (respirable) to balance worker protection and industry operations. However, the Advisory Committee on Health and Safety at Work (ACSH) proposes lower values, with a transition period, potentially affecting industry investment. An eftec assessment suggests a significant impact, leading to the closure of various manufacturing sectors. Additionally, concerns arise due to the lack of socio-economic data on the ACSH transition period recommendation, prompting the Cobalt Institute to generate this data by early 2024 to aid decision-makers.

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