Thursday, June 26, 2008
[IWS] ETUC Resolution on NANOTECHNOLOGIES & NANOMATERIALS [26 June 2008]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
ETUC Resolution on nanotechnologies and nanomaterials [26 June 2008]
http://www.etuc.org/a/5163
or
http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf_ETUC_resolution_on_nano_-_EN_-_25_June_08.pdf
[full-text, 7 pages]
Press Release 26 June 2008
ETUC wants precautionary principle applied to nanotechnologies
http://www.etuc.org/a/5159
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) adopted a first resolution on nanotechnologies and nanomaterials at its recent Executive Committee meeting. The key demand: the precautionary principle must apply to nanotechnologies.
Nanotechnology is a fast-growing field of activity in many sectors of industry, especially the chemical, pharmaceutical and electronics industries. As a result, the number of workers coming into contact with nanomaterials objects whose size is measured in billionths of a metre is set to rise sharply in the coming years. The ETUC is convinced that nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials might have considerable development and application potential. However, the ETUC notes that significant uncertainties revolve around both the benefits of nanotechnologies to our society and their harmful effects of manufactured nanomaterials on human health and the environment. "After the asbestos scandal, the ETUC finds it unacceptable that products should now be manufactured without their potential effects on human health and the environment being known unless a precautionary approach has been applied and made transparent to the workers", argues ETUC Confederal Secretary Joël Decaillon. The resolution sets out a series of demands on different aspects of nanotechnology development:
Marketing:
*
REACH's "no data, no market" principle must apply: nanometre forms of chemicals should not be allowed on the market unless sufficient data are supplied to show no harmful effect for human health and the environment;
*
All nanomaterials, including those produced or imported in quantities below 1 tonne per year, must come within the REACH registration requirements;
*
A chemical safety report must be produced for all REACH-registered substances for which a nanometre scale use has been identified.
Worker protection:
*
Amend Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EC to require employers to implement risk reduction measures for substances not proven to be harmless;
*
Involve workers and their representatives in the assessment and reduction of nanomaterial-related risks;
*
Improve worker information about nanomaterials that may be present in products to which they are exposed: safety data sheets must state whether nanomaterials are present;
*
Provide training and health surveillance for workers exposed to nanomaterials.
R & D:
*
Earmark at least 15% of public research budgets for health and environmental aspects;
*
Make health and safety at work aspects a compulsory part of all research projects.
The ETUC calls on the European Commission and Member States to ensure real participation by European citizens in the debate on these new technologies.
*
< http://www.etuc.org/a/5163> ETUC resolution on nanotechnologies and nanomaterials
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
ETUC Resolution on nanotechnologies and nanomaterials [26 June 2008]
http://www.etuc.org/a/5163
or
http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf_ETUC_resolution_on_nano_-_EN_-_25_June_08.pdf
[full-text, 7 pages]
Press Release 26 June 2008
ETUC wants precautionary principle applied to nanotechnologies
http://www.etuc.org/a/5159
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) adopted a first resolution on nanotechnologies and nanomaterials at its recent Executive Committee meeting. The key demand: the precautionary principle must apply to nanotechnologies.
Nanotechnology is a fast-growing field of activity in many sectors of industry, especially the chemical, pharmaceutical and electronics industries. As a result, the number of workers coming into contact with nanomaterials objects whose size is measured in billionths of a metre is set to rise sharply in the coming years. The ETUC is convinced that nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials might have considerable development and application potential. However, the ETUC notes that significant uncertainties revolve around both the benefits of nanotechnologies to our society and their harmful effects of manufactured nanomaterials on human health and the environment. "After the asbestos scandal, the ETUC finds it unacceptable that products should now be manufactured without their potential effects on human health and the environment being known unless a precautionary approach has been applied and made transparent to the workers", argues ETUC Confederal Secretary Joël Decaillon. The resolution sets out a series of demands on different aspects of nanotechnology development:
Marketing:
*
REACH's "no data, no market" principle must apply: nanometre forms of chemicals should not be allowed on the market unless sufficient data are supplied to show no harmful effect for human health and the environment;
*
All nanomaterials, including those produced or imported in quantities below 1 tonne per year, must come within the REACH registration requirements;
*
A chemical safety report must be produced for all REACH-registered substances for which a nanometre scale use has been identified.
Worker protection:
*
Amend Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EC to require employers to implement risk reduction measures for substances not proven to be harmless;
*
Involve workers and their representatives in the assessment and reduction of nanomaterial-related risks;
*
Improve worker information about nanomaterials that may be present in products to which they are exposed: safety data sheets must state whether nanomaterials are present;
*
Provide training and health surveillance for workers exposed to nanomaterials.
R & D:
*
Earmark at least 15% of public research budgets for health and environmental aspects;
*
Make health and safety at work aspects a compulsory part of all research projects.
The ETUC calls on the European Commission and Member States to ensure real participation by European citizens in the debate on these new technologies.
*
< http://www.etuc.org/a/5163> ETUC resolution on nanotechnologies and nanomaterials
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:11 AM
