Protection of Workers from Risks related to Exposure to Biological Agents at Work Regulations.

These regulations have the scope to protect workers against risks to their health and safety, including the prevention of such risks, arising or likely to arise from exposure to biological agents at work and to transpose Commission Directive (EU) 2020/739 of 3 June 2020 amending Annex III to Directive 2000/54/ EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the inclusion of SARS-CoV-2 in the list of biological agents known to infect humans and amending Commission Directive (EU) 2019/1833.
These regulations lay down particular minimum provisions in this area without prejudice to any laws, regulations or other legislative provisions stipulating general principles concerning the prevention of occupational risks, the protection of health and safety, the elimination of risk and accident factors, the information to, consultation, balanced participation and training of workers and their representatives.
These regulations apply to activities in which workers are, or are potentially exposed to biological agents as a result of their work. Criteria are provided for each type of activity in order to assess the risk they involve. The Regulations set a duty on the employer to avoid the use of a harmful biological agent if the nature of the activity so permits in order to prevent or reduce the exposure to any risk for workers.
The regulations further set a duty on employers, when a risk to workers’ health or safety is assessed, to give to the Authority appropriate information concerning the risk and the workers exposed to it. A list of exposed workers is also to be kept by the employer and consultations are foreseen in oder for the workers to take part in discussions on all questions relating to health and safety at work.