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Council Directive of 30 November 1989 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the workplace (first individual directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (89/654/EEC)

EU Directive 1989/654 · Adopted 30 November 1989 · Extends to United Kingdom

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise this item, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

Council Directive

of 30 November 1989

concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the workplace (first individual directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)

(89/654/EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 118 a thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commissionf1, submitted after consulting the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work,

In cooperation with the European Parliamentf2,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committeef3,

Whereas Article 118a of the Treaty provides that the Council shall adopt, by means of directives, minimum requirements for encouraging improvements, especially in the working environment, to ensure a better level of protection of the safety and health of workers;

Whereas, under the terms of that Article, those directives are to avoid imposing administrative, financial and legal constraints in a way which would hold back the creation and development of small and medium-sized Undertakings;

Whereas the communication from the Commission on its programme concerning safety, hygiene and health at workf4 provides for the adoption of a directive designed to guarantee the safety and health of workers at the workplace;

Whereas, in its resolution of 21 December 1987 on safety, hygiene and health at workf5, the Council took note of the Commission's intention of submitting to the Council in the near future minimum requirements concerning the arrangement of the place of work;

Whereas compliance with the minimum requirements designed to guarantee a better standard of safety and health at work is essential to ensure the safety and health of workers;

Whereas this Directive is an individual directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Council Directive 89/391 /EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at workf6; whereas the provisions of the latter are therefore fully applicable to the workplace without prejudice to more stringent and/or specific provisions contained in the present Directive;

Whereas this Directive is a practical contribution towards creating the social dimension of the internal market;

Whereas, pursuant to Decision 74/325/EECf7, as last amended by the 1985 Act of Accession, the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work is consulted by the Commission on the drafting of proposals in this field,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

OJ No C 141, 30.5.1988, p. 6, OJ No C 115, 8.5.1989, p. 34 and OJ No C 284, 10.11.1989, p. 8.

f2

OJ No C 326, 19.12.1988, p. 123 and OJ No C 256, 9.10.1988, p. 51.

f3

OJ No C 175, 4.7.1988, p. 28.

f4

OJ No C 28, 3.2.1988, p. 3.

f5

OJ No C 28, 3.2.1988, p. 1.

f6

OJ No L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1.

f7

OJ No L 185, 9.7.1974, p. 15.

Contents

  1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
  2. 1Subject
  3. 2Definition
  4. EMPLOYERS' OBLIGATIONS
  5. 3Workplaces used for the first time
  6. 4Workplaces already in use
  7. 5Modifications to workplaces
  8. 6General requirements
  9. 7Information of workers
  10. 8Consultation of workers and workers' participation
  11. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
  12. 9Amendments to the Annexes
  13. 9aExercise of the delegation
  14. 9bUrgency procedure
  15. 10Final provisions
  16. 11Article 11
  17. Annex I: MINIMUM SAFETY AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKPLACES USED FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3 OF THE DIRECTIVE
  18. 1Preliminary note
  19. 2Stability and solidity
  20. 3Electrical installations
  21. Emergency routes and exits
  22. 4.1Division 4.1
  23. 4.2Division 4.2
  24. 4.3Division 4.3
  25. 4.4Division 4.4
  26. 4.5Division 4.5
  27. 4.6Division 4.6
  28. 4.7Division 4.7
  29. Fire detection and fire fighting
  30. 5.1Division 5.1
  31. 5.2Division 5.2
  32. Ventilation of enclosed workplaces
  33. 6.1Division 6.1
  34. 6.2Division 6.2
  35. Room temperature
  36. 7.1Division 7.1
  37. 7.2Division 7.2
  38. 7.3Division 7.3
  39. Natural and artificial room lighting
  40. 8.1Division 8.1
  41. 8.2Division 8.2
  42. 8.3Division 8.3
  43. Floors, walls, ceilings and roofs of rooms
  44. 9.1Division 9.1
  45. 9.2Division 9.2
  46. 9.3Division 9.3
  47. 9.4Division 9.4
  48. Windows and skylights
  49. 10.1Division 10.1
  50. 10.2Division 10.2
  51. Doors and gates
  52. 11.1Division 11.1
  53. 11.2Division 11.2
  54. 11.3Division 11.3
  55. 11.4Division 11.4
  56. 11.5Division 11.5
  57. 11.6Division 11.6
  58. 11.7Division 11.7
  59. 11.8Division 11.8
  60. 11.9Division 11.9
  61. Traffic routes — danger areas
  62. 12.1Division 12.1
  63. 12.2Division 12.2
  64. 12.3Division 12.3
  65. 12.4Division 12.4
  66. 12.5Division 12.5
  67. 13Specific measures for escalators and travelators
  68. Loading bays and ramps
  69. 14.1Division 14.1
  70. 14.2Division 14.2
  71. 14.3Division 14.3
  72. Room dimensions and air space in rooms — freedom of movement at the workstation
  73. 15.1Division 15.1
  74. 15.2Division 15.2
  75. Rest rooms
  76. 16.1Division 16.1
  77. 16.2Division 16.2
  78. 16.3Division 16.3
  79. 16.4Division 16.4
  80. 17Pregnant women and nursing mothers
  81. Sanitary equipment
  82. Changing rooms and lockers
  83. 18.1.1Appropriate changing rooms must be provided for workers if they have to wear special work clothes and where, for reasons of health or propriety, they cannot be expected to change in another room.
  84. 18.1.2Changing rooms must be sufficiently large and have facilities to enable each worker to lock away his clothes during working hours.
  85. 18.1.3Division 18.1.3
  86. 18.1.4Division 18.1.4
  87. Showers and washbasins
  88. 18.2.1Adequate and suitable showers must be provided for workers if required by the nature of the work or for health reasons.
  89. 18.2.2The shower rooms must be sufficiently large to permit each worker to wash without hindrance in conditions of an appropriate standard of hygiene.
  90. 18.2.3Where showers are not required under the first subparagraph of 18.2.1, adequate and suitable washbasins with running water (hot water if necessary) must be provided in the vicinity of the workstations and the changing rooms.
  91. 18.2.4Division 18.2.4
  92. 18.3Lavatories and washbasins
  93. First aid rooms
  94. 19.1Division 19.1
  95. 19.2Division 19.2
  96. 19.3Division 19.3
  97. 20Handicapped workers
  98. Outdoor workplaces (special provisions)
  99. 21.1Division 21.1
  100. 21.2Division 21.2
  101. 21.3Division 21.3
  102. Annex II: MINIMUM HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKPLACES ALREADY IN USE, AS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 4 OF THE DIRECTIVE
  103. 1Preliminary note
  104. 2Stability and solidity
  105. 3Electrical installations
  106. Emergency routes and exits
  107. 4.1Division 4.1
  108. 4.2Division 4.2
  109. 4.3Division 4.3
  110. 4.4Division 4.4
  111. 4.5Division 4.5
  112. 4.6Division 4.6
  113. 4.7Division 4.7
  114. Fire detection and fire fighting
  115. 5.1Division 5.1
  116. 5.2Division 5.2
  117. 6Ventilation of enclosed workplaces
  118. Room temperature
  119. 7.1Division 7.1
  120. 7.2Division 7.2
  121. Natural and artificial room lighting
  122. 8.1Division 8.1
  123. 8.2Division 8.2
  124. Doors and gates
  125. 9.1Division 9.1
  126. 9.2Division 9.2
  127. 10Danger areas
  128. Rest rooms and rest areas
  129. 11.1Division 11.1
  130. 11.2Division 11.2
  131. 11.3Division 11.3
  132. 12Pregnant women and nursing mothers
  133. Sanitary equipment
  134. Changing rooms and lockers
  135. 13.1.1Appropriate changing rooms must be provided for workers if they have to wear special work clothes and where, for reasons of health or propriety, they cannot be expected to change in another room.
  136. 13.1.2Changing rooms must have facilities to enable each worker to lock away his clothes during working hours.
  137. 13.1.3Division 13.1.3
  138. Showers, lavatories and washbasins
  139. 13.2.1Workplaces must be fitted out in such a way that workers have in the vicinity:
  140. 13.2.2Division 13.2.2
  141. 13.2.3Provision must be made for separate showers or separate use of showers for men and women.
  142. 14First aid equipment
  143. 15Handicapped workers
  144. 16Movement of pedestrians and vehicles
  145. 17Outdoor workplaces (special provisions)