§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ask for a report from the Health and Safety Executive on its current proposals for changing the limits of silica dust in the atmosphere; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthThe new exposure limit for silica has now been implemented by regulations amending the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSH H) Regulations 1988. These were laid before Parliament on 1 November 1991 and came into force on 1 January 1992. The proposal for this new limit was contained in a widely publicised and free consultative document published by the Health and Safety Commission in December 1990 inviting comments on the proposal by April 1991. This proposal followed a review of occupational exposure to silica dust by the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on toxic substances whose members include representatives from industry and trades unions as well as independent experts in the field of occupational health and hygiene.
The Health and Safety Commission, whose members also include representatives from employers and employees, considered the comments received and recommended that the proposal for a maximum exposure limit for silica be adopted. I am satisfied with these arrangements for setting the new limit and the consultation procedures employed.