§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions in each year since a maximum exposure limit was assigned to respirable quartz the Health and Safety Executive has instigated formal enforcement actions against employers who have controlled personal exposures to respirable quartz to below the maximum exposure limits but where exposures were not as low as reasonably practicable and exceeded 0.1 mg/m3; and if he will make a statement. [43714]
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§ Angela EagleThe Health and Safety Executive can take formal enforcement action against employers by Prosecution, Prohibition and Improvement Notices.
It is not possible to relate HSE' s formal enforcement actions to improve the control of respirable quartz (silica) to specific personal exposures. Action to improve the control of silica is not dependent on exposure measurements. Nevertheless in 1995 there was one prosecution where the Maximum Exposure Limit (MEL) was exceeded.
In 1996–97, there were 25 Improvement Notices and in 1997–98, there were 24 Improvement Notices in relation to the inadequate control of silica.
In 1996, ACTS reviewed the effect of the MEL on industry, and HSE will publish a report shortly.