Council adopts common position on minimum health and safety requirements in the workplace
The Council of the European Union has adopted a common position with a view to adopting a proposed Directive amending Directive 89/655/EEC on the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment in the workplace. The Council's common position introduces changes to the Directive, while retaining the essence of the Commission proposal. The new Directive introduces supplementary minimum requirements applicable to specific types of work equipment and includes new provisions concerning the inspection of work equipment and consideration of ergonomic principles. The common position notably states that equipment will be subject to inspection by qualified personnel following initial installation, or after assembly at a new site or in a new location. In addition, to ensure that deterioration of machinery can be detected and remedied in good time, special inspections will be carried out in response to circumstances that are liable to jeopardize safety, for example, following accidents, prolonged periods of inactivity, and modification.