European Association of Mining Industries, Metal Ores & Industrial Minerals
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Health and Safety
The mineral raw materials industry is continuously striving to improve its health and safety performance. Euromines' members have subscribed to the Guidelines for Sustainable Development in the European Mining Sector as published in June 1999. All Euromines members are encouraged to achieve the highest standard of occupational health and safety for all working in the sector.
With regard to health and safety, Euromines members shall:
- Seek continual improvement of good, safe, healthy and positive working conditions, taking all protection measures necessary;
- Identify and minimize potential risks associated with mining and adopt suitable preventative measures to remove or reduce such risks.
The European Mineral raw materials Industry is committed to continuously improve its health and safety record and in many cases goes beyond legal compliance in the management and measures taken.
The European mineral raw materials industry is governed by 2 specialised EU directives
- Directive 92/104/EEC (surface and underground mineral-extracting industries)
- Directive 92/91/EEC (mineral-extracting industries through drilling)
As well as a series of generally applicable EU Directives, such as
- Framework Directive (89/391/EEC)
Workplaces, equipment, signs, personal protective equipments
- Directive 89/654/EEC (workplace)
- Directive 2009/104/EC (work equipment)
- Directive 89/656/EEC (PPE)
- Directive 92/58/EEC (OSH signs)
- Directive 1999/92/EC (ATEX)
Workload, ergonomics and psychosocial risks
- Directive 90/269/EEC (manual handling of loads)
- Directive 90/270/EEC (display screen equipment)
Physical agents
- Directive 2002/44/EC (vibration)
- Directive 2003/10/EC (noise)
- Directive 2004/40/EC (electromagnetic fields)
- Directive 2006/25/EC (artificial optical radiation)
Chemical agents
- Directive 2004/37/EC (carcinogens or mutagens)
- Directive 98/24/EC (chemical agents at work)
- Directive 2009/148/EC (asbestos)
Biological agents
- Directive 2000/54/EC (biological agents)
Sector-specific and worker-related directives
- Directive 92/57/EEC (temporary or mobile construction sites)
- Directive 91/383/EEC42 (temporary workers)
- Directive 94/33/EC (young people at work)
and the safety regulations embedded in the national legislation and mineral raw materials codes in the EU Member States.
The sector is engaged in a voluntary EU Social Dialogue Agreement on the protection against respirable crystalline silica (NEPSI).
Numerous health and safety guidances have been developed over the years by the sector.
Once of them is the ILO guidance on safety in coal mines (document available in Downloads section below).
Downloads:
Did you know?
It is estimated that every job in metal mining generates 2.3 additional jobs elsewhere in the economy, and every non metal mining job generates 1.6 additional jobs.