Vol. 568 No. 5
169 Mr. Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to Directive 2002/44/EC of the European Parliament and Council dealing with the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the safety of transport workers, specifically referring to the phenomenon known as whole body vibration; and if her attention has further been drawn to the implications this might have for Dublin Bus. [13899/03]
Directive 2002/44/EC is due to be transposed into national legislation by member states no later than 6 July 2005. The directive applies to activities in which workers are, or are likely to be, exposed to risks from mechanical vibration, hand-arm vibration and whole body vibration during the course of their work. The Health and Safety Authority will be carrying out the technical work in preparing to transpose this directive, following which a statutory instrument will be made.
In carrying out the risk assessment employers must give particular attention to the following: the level, type and duration of exposure, including any exposure to intermittent vibration or repeated shocks; the exposure limit values and the exposure action values laid down in the directive; any effects concerning the health and safety of workers at particularly sensitive risk; any indirect effects on worker safety resulting from interactions between mechanical vibration and the workplace or other work equipment; information provided by the manufacturers of work equipment in accordance with relevant Community directives; the existence of replacement equipment designed to reduce the levels of exposure to mechanical vibration; the extension of exposure to whole-body vibration beyond normal working hours under the employer's responsibility; and specific working conditions such as low temperatures. Dublin Bus will have to take account of the provisions of this directive and fully assess the implications those provisions for its current practices and procedures. The Health and Safety Authority will be available to offer advice and assistance to Dublin Bus in this regard.
