The risk of occupational cancer is still a matter of concern for occupational safety and health in Europe. The authors propose transparency of residual risks of Binding Occupational Exposure Limit Values (BOELV) for carcinogens and the establishment of a risk-based approach in Directive 2004/37/EC, the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive, as important steps to further minimise the risk of occupational cancer. BOELV from the EU in their current form do not clearly identify residual risks as such. This may lead to a false sense of safety for employers and employees. Based on the good experience with a risk-based approach in Germany and other European countries, the authors support the introduction of a harmonised risk-based target level for carcinogens in the European Union.

This article is published in the Journal "Gefahrstoffe - Reinhaltung der Luft", Volume 81, Issue 11-12, pp. 471-475 (www.gefahrstoffe.de).