A deal updating EU rules to protect workers from exposure to carcinogenic and mutagenic substances was struck on Tuesday by Employment MEPs and the Romanian Presidency of the Council.The agreed text adds exposure limit values for five carcinogenic chemical agents - cadmium, beryllium, arsenic acid, formaldehyde and 4,4'-Methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline)(MOCA) - to the existing list of harmful substances for European workers’ health. The third revision of the 2004 directive intends to further lower the risk for workers of getting cancer, which is the primary cause of work-related deaths in the EU. The informally agreed text will have to be endorsed by the Council's Permanent Representatives Committee and confirmed by the Parliament’s Employment Committee and the plenary. Read more