Mr Christian Vanneste questions Mrs minister of health and of sports about risks of solvents. A study of INSERM to 3 000 pregnant women shows that 30 % of them are displayed to solvents on their workplace. The risk of having a child attained by a congenital malformation in birth thinks therefore it is multiplied by 2,5 when the mother was displayed during her pregnancy to solvents as part of her occupation. He would like to know of what thinks of it the Government and if it intends to take an action in favour of these pregnant women.

Answer of the Government:

Chemical risk constitutes a major subject of preoccupation in health at job, and more particularly some substances likely to drive to serious consequences for health of; pregnant women and children to be born. The Government is therefore particularly attentive to it. The preventive mesures of occupational hazards linked to the dangerous or cancerogenic chemical agents, the mutag nes or toxic for the reproduction (CMR) of category 1 or 2 appear in decrees n on 2001 of February 1st, 2001 and n on 2003-1254 of December 23rd, 2003. These decrees transpose European directives into national right 98 / 24 / this and 2004 / 37 / this, directive fixing minimal prescripts. These dispositions, codified in articles R. 4412-1 in R. 4412-93 of labour laws, aim at systematising - under the supervision of every employer - the valuation of chemical risk, with a view to allowing the installation of preventive mesures adapted to every working situation and at the level of determined risks. They envisage an obligation of substitution of the dangerous chemical agents by substances, preparations or techniques not dangerous or less dangerous. This obligation is more asserted still for the agents CMR of category 1 or 2 for whom substitution is imperative when it is technically possible. When the application of the principle of substitution proves to be impossible, the employer must implement all means allowing to reduce exhibition by means of prevention and of protection adapted (closed system or means of collective or individual protection). Moreover, regulation envisages that a worker can be appointed to jobs displaying it to dangerous chemical agents for health that if he made the object of a prior medical examination and that he does not introduce medical contraindication at these jobs (R article. 4412-44). Besides, the marking of exhibitions is essential to guarantee an efficient preventive medical monitoring of the workers. Besides, in accordance with articles R. 4412-89 and D. 4152-11, the employer has to to inform the pregnant women that he uses danger which the exhibition to some chemical substances for fertility, embryo, especially during the beginning of the pregnancy, the foetus and the child can represent. Moreover, it is forbidden to affect or to support of pregnant women and women nursing in workstations displaying them to some chemical agents, such as the toxic classified agents for the reproduction of category 1 or 2, the benzene and some derivatives of aromatic hydrocarbons (D article. 4152-10 of labour laws). If a pregnant wage earner or an allaitante occupies a workstation displaying it to a toxic agent for the reproduction of category 1 or 2, to a benzene or to some derivatives of aromatic hydrocarbons, the L article. 1225-12 of labour laws add that the employer is required to offer him another job compatible with his state, without reduction of his remuneration. If the employer is in the impossibility of offering him another job, contract of employment is hanging, and the wage earner benefits from a guarantee of remuneration composed of a daily allocation envisaged by the code of social security and of complement of the employer (R article. 1225-4 of labour laws). This group of dispositions constitutes a complete and efficient legal armory, subject to remaining vigilant as for the effectivit of its application. In this respect, the first responsibility returns to firms, but the services of working examination and industrial medicine also have a major role to be played as part of their missions of control and of information. Par ailleurs, la r glementation pr voit qu un travailleur ne peut tre affect des travaux l exposant des agents chimiques dangereux pour la sant que s il a fait l objet d un examen m dical pr alable et qu il ne pr sente pas de contre-indication m dicale ces travaux (article R. 4412-44). De plus, la tra abilit des expositions est essentielle pour garantir un suivi m dical pr ventif efficace des travailleurs. En outre, en application des articles R. 4412-89 et D. 4152-11, l employeur se doit d informer les femmes enceintes qu il emploie de dangers que peut repr senter l exposition certaines substances chimiques pour la fertilit , l embryon, en particulier lors du d but de la grossesse, le foetus et l enfant. Par ailleurs, il est interdit d affecter ou de maintenir des femmes enceintes et des femmes allaitant des postes de travail les exposant certains agents chimiques, tels que les agents class s toxiques pour la reproduction de cat gorie 1 ou 2, le benz ne et certains d riv s d hydrocarbures aromatiques (article D. 4152-10 du code du travail). Si une salari e enceinte ou allaitante occupe un poste de travail l exposant un agent toxique pour la reproduction de cat gorie 1 ou 2, au benz ne ou certains d riv s d hydrocarbures aromatiques, l article L. 1225-12 du code du travail pr cise que l employeur est tenu de lui proposer un autre emploi compatible avec son tat, sans diminution de sa r mun ration. Si l employeur est dans l impossibilit de lui proposer un autre emploi, le contrat de travail est suspendu, et la salari e b n ficie d une garantie de r mun ration compos e d une allocation journali re pr vue par le code de la s curit sociale et d un compl ment de l employeur (article R. 1225-4 du code du travail). Cet ensemble de dispositions constitue un arsenal juridique complet et efficace, sous r serve de rester vigilant quant l effectivit de son application. cet gard, la responsabilit premi re revient aux entreprises, mais les services de l inspection de travail et la m decine du travail ont galement un r le majeur jouer dans le cadre de leurs missions de contr le et d information.

Question published to JO: 10/13/2009 page: 9656
Published answer to JO: 2/2/2010 page: On 1206
Date of change of attribution: 10/27/2009