Cobalt Dust (Hansard, 16 May 1989)

§ Mr. Bill Michie
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the results of the Health and Safety Executive's recent hard metal special national project.

§ Mr. Nicholls
Results so far available show that measurements of cobalt dust in air were below the current recommended occupational exposure limit at 16 factories visited by the Health and Safety Executive in the hard metal special national project. At 17 factories visited the level of cobalt dust was not controlled below the recommended limit.

§ Mr. Bill Michie
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action the Health and Safety Executive will be taking to ensure that compliance by the hard metal industry with the occupational exposure limit for cobalt is improved.

§ Mr Nicholls
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive have enforcement powers under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to require an employer to comply with his duties to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare of his employees. These duties extend to the risks associated with the exposure of workers to cobalt dust.
At visits inspectors check that employers comply with the recommended occupational exposure limit for cobalt and its compounds and will take enforcement action necessary where companies do not meet the required standards.

§ Mr. Bill Michie
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment under what instructions Health and Safety Executive inspectors have been working in taking enforcement action in relation to employers' failures to comply with the cobalt occupational exposure limit and to provide adequate medical surveillance.

§ Mr. Nicholls
At visits, inspectors consider whether employers have complied with their duties under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees. Inspectors check that employers comply with the recommended occupational exposure limit for cobalt and its compounds and will take any enforcement action necessary where companies do not meet the required standards.