Aerosols are used for a wide variety of purposes, at work and otherwise, many of which do not come within the ambit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment or the Health and Safety Authority. Those outside the authority's remit include, for example, perfumes, cosmetics, other personal hygiene products and pesticides.
The Health and Safety Authority's role relating to exposure to aerosol chemicals arises under EU originated legislation on the marketing and use and classification, packaging and labelling of certain dangerous substances and preparations. This legislation bans or restricts the use of certain agents and, in other cases, requires that the product be labelled with appropriate risk and safety phrases, for example, to draw the user's attention to the fact that it may cause sensitisation and gives advice as to its use in a safe manner.
In the industrial or workplace context, any exposure of workers to aerosol chemicals that may arise in the course of work would be subject to risk assessment and the application of appropriate prevention or control measures, including, if relevant, the application of occupational exposure limit values, OELVs, but not tolerance levels, under relevant legislation.
Neither my Department nor the Health and Safety Authority has any role in relation to aerosol chemical tolerance levels in general in the atmosphere. In addition, neither party has any information on any research being undertaken as regards allergies to atmospheric pollutants.
I understand that, apart from the Health and Safety Authority, other Departments or agencies such as the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Agriculture and Food would also have roles in this matter. I also understand from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government that Directive 2004/42/EC on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds, VOC, due to the use of organic solvents in certain paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products, and amending Directive 1999/13/EC, set maximum VOC content limit values for prescribed products in these particular areas. Article 9 of the directive invites the European Commission to submit a report by 2008 at latest to the European Parliament and to the Council examining, inter alia, the broad scope and potential for making reductions in the VOC content of products outside the scope of the directive including aerosols for paints and varnishes.
