Exposure of workers to optical radiation (Liz Lynne)

Exposure of workers to optical radiation

February 13, 2006 12:00 AM
By Liz Lynne

Mr President, I wish to thank the rapporteur for his cooperation. We now have a sensible directive to protect workers such as welders from artificial radiation.

I am delighted that, at long last, everyone has seen sense and removed natural radiation from the remit of this directive. It has been a long, hard battle. I congratulate Mrs Weisgerber. She and I worked very hard after the Commission proposed to legislate against sun in the second reading.

Not only would it have brought the EU into disrepute again, it would also have been a nightmare for employers and workers alike. Legally, it would have been very difficult to prove whether a worker had contracted skin cancer from the workplace, the back garden or the beach.

Certainly, everyone ought to be warned about the dangers of the sun and that is why I am very much in favour of national campaigns. But once people have been given the information, we are adults and should be able to make up our own minds. It should not be left to the employer to enforce it. That is the nanny state mentality gone too far. Imagine the language from some builders, for instance, if they were told to cover up when they were trying to get a sun tan for their holidays! It is no business of the EU to tell workers that they cannot go bare-chested or wear shorts.

Today's proceedings, and I hope the vote tomorrow, are a victory for common sense. They also demonstrate the power of the European Parliament. If we had not voted the way we did at second reading, the Commission would not have changed its mind and probably, more importantly, neither would the Council. This is a good day for sensible legislation. As a pro-European, I think it very sad that we have had to waste time blocking ludicrous proposals like this. Sunlight should never have been included in the directive. It is a very good directive and I hope everyone will vote for it tomorrow, but just for artificial radiation and not for the inclusion of natural radiation.

Display: Desktop
Switch to: Mobile / Accessible (requires cookies)

Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Published and promoted by Liz Lynne, 55 Ely Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6LN

The views expressed are those of the publisher, not of the service provider.

Website developed by Prater Raines Ltd / Design by Dane Williams

Liz Lynne