European Union HSE Forum

The attached update provides a comprehensive summary of non-US regulations, legislative actions, and policy developments that have been reported during the past three months.  To assist you in making the best use of this information, a list of top stories, where they may be found in the report, and their significance, is provided below.  

We invite you to attend the upcoming meeting of the ORC Worldwide European Union Health, Safety, and Environmental Forum, which will be held at Le Méridien Hotel, Carrefour de l’Europe 3, Brussels, 1000, Belgium (Telephone: +32-2-548-4211; Fax: + 32-2-548-4080). On-site registration for the meeting will begin on Wednesday, 17th March, at 12.00 (canapés and refreshments will be available); the meeting will begin at 13.00 and end at approximately 18.00 hours. The Thursday session will begin at 08.30 and end at approximately 13.00 hours and will be followed by lunch.

 We ask that each member company representative complete this form, whether you plan to attend or not, and return it by 26 February. Your prompt registration helps us plan events that better suit the group’s needs. Substitutes and guests should also fill out the form. Please complete the fields in gray, save the document, and e-mail it to registrations@orcww.com.

If necessary, you may fax it to 212-398-1358.

In a Federal Register notice published April 15, EPA announced that a new RMP submission method, called RMP*eSubmit, should be used by facilities submitting their RMPs electronically  beginning March 13, 2009. The new submission method will be On-line via EPA’s secure Web site.  The new submission method is applicable to owners and operators of stationary sources subject to EPA’s Chemical Accident Prevention regulations. These regulations require covered entitites to submit RMPs on their processes in a method and format specified by EPA.

The International Conference on Road Safety at Work will provide a forum for business, labor, policy makers, and the research community to discuss strategies to prevent road traffic crashes, a leading cause of workplace death, injury, and disability in countries around the world. This is the first international conference dedicated to this important topic. Internationally recognized speakers will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, and participants from around the world will offer delegates a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and forge partnerships.

The European Commission has formally adopted a non-binding code of conduct for nanotechnology and nanosciences (N&N) that includes the precautionary principle, calling on European Union member states to use the guidelines as the basis for nanotechnology research oversight.

The EU code of conduct, adopted February 8, 2008 is based on seven principles covering issues such as precaution, sustainability, and accountability, and is designed to apply to universities, research institutes and companies, the Commission said in a statement.