§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of potential health hazards arising from paints containing a high amount of volatile solvents; and if he will make a statement. [131685]
§ Mr. MeacherHigh exposures to any number of solvents can be damaging to health. Most hazardous solvents used at work, including paints, have specific occupational exposure limits set after detailed scientific reviews of their health effects. Employers using any hazardous solvent must follow the requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999.
The safety of chemical products, including paint, sold to the general public or used at work is regulated by the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 1994 which require, among other things, that product manufacturers must assess a product for its health effects (for example, toxicity, irritancy). If dangerous, the product must then be labelled with a warning symbol and with phrases indicating the dangers. The particular chemical(s) which causes the product to be classified must also be named on the label.
The regulations require that all potentially dangerous chemicals supplied to the general public must be in packaging which is properly labelled and contains warning about the potential hazards and giving brief advice on suitable precautions. Manufacturers would also, if relevant, be required to give details of how to use the product safely. Chemicals used at work must be supplied with a safety data sheet.