Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limit Values
Encyclopedia
The Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limit Values (SCOEL) is a committee of the European Commission
established in 1995 to advise on occupational exposure limit
s for chemicals in the workplace within the framework of:
It is composed of scientist
s who are expert in chemistry
, toxicology
, epidemiology
, occupational medicine or industrial hygiene, and reviews available information, recommending exposure limits where possible.
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
established in 1995 to advise on occupational exposure limit
Occupational exposure limit
An occupational exposure limit is an upper limit on the acceptable concentration of a hazardous substance in workplace air for a particular material or class of materials. It is typically set by competent national authorities and enforced by legislation to protect occupational safety and health...
s for chemicals in the workplace within the framework of:
- Directive 98/24/EC, the chemical agents directive; and
- Directive 90/394/EEC, the carcinogenCarcinogenA carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
s at work directive.
It is composed of scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s who are expert in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
, epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
, occupational medicine or industrial hygiene, and reviews available information, recommending exposure limits where possible.