Construction bosses to be liable for skin cancer under EU rules

EU legislation will make building bosses liable for all skin cancers suffered by their workers no matter what their cause, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned.

An FMB report condemns as "over-regulating" the proposed EU Optical Radiation Directive, which it claims, would leave employers liable for skin cancers suffered by their workers even though the cancer may not be caused by occupational exposure to the sun. 

Andrew Large, FMB director of external affairs, said: "The EU directive is well-intentioned, but it is totally unenforceable. 

"The proposed requirement for employers to regulate their workers' exposure to sunlight is completely impractical. Requiring them to do so would not only cause great difficulty to tens of thousands of construction businesses in the UK, it would also make them liable for something over which they have little control."

The FMB is calling on MEPs to exclude natural solar radiation from the Optical Radiation Directive, which also covers exposure to industrial hazards such as laser beams. MEPs will vote on the directive on 6 September.

"There are more appropriate ways for the EU to treat exposure to sunlight. Our report draws a comparison with their treatment of exposure to another natural occurrence, radon gas, which is far less prescriptive," added Large.