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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)

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EU Directives are being published on this site to aid cross referencing from UK legislation. After IP completion day (31 December 2020 11pm) no further amendments will be applied to this version.

  1. Introductory Text

  2. SECTION I GENERAL PROVISIONS

    1. Article 1.Subject

    2. Article 2.Definition

  3. SECTION II EMPLOYERS' OBLIGATIONS

    1. Article 3.Workplaces used for the first time

    2. Article 4.Workplaces already in use

    3. Article 5.Modifications to workplaces

    4. Article 6.General requirements

    5. Article 7.Information of workers

    6. Article 8.Consultation of workers and workers' participation

  4. SECTION III MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

    1. Article 9. Amendments to the Annexes

    2. Article 9a. Exercise of the delegation

    3. Article 9b. Urgency procedure

    4. Article 10.Final provisions

    5. Article 11.This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

    1. ANNEX I

      MINIMUM SAFETY AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKPLACES USED FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3 OF THE DIRECTIVE

      1. 1. Preliminary note

      2. 2. Stability and solidity

      3. 3. Electrical installations

      4. 4. Emergency routes and exits

        1. 4.1. Emergency routes and exits must remain clear and lead as...

        2. 4.2. In the event of danger, it must be possible for...

        3. 4.3. The number, distribution and dimensions of the emergency routes and...

        4. 4.4. Emergency doors must open outwards.

        5. 4.5. Specific emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs...

        6. 4.6. Emergency doors must not be locked.

        7. 4.7. Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with...

      5. 5. Fire detection and fire fighting

        1. 5.1. Depending on the dimensions and use of the buildings, the...

        2. 5.2. Non-automatic fire-fighting equipment must be easily accessible and simple to...

      6. 6. Ventilation of enclosed workplaces

        1. 6.1. Steps shall be taken to see to it that there...

        2. 6.2. If air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation installations are used, they must...

      7. 7. Room temperature

        1. 7.1. During working hours, the temperature in rooms containing workstations must...

        2. 7.2. The temperature in rest areas, rooms for duty staff, sanitary...

        3. 7.3. Windows, skylights and glass partitions should allow excessive effects of...

      8. 8. Natural and artificial room lighting

        1. 8.1. Workplaces must as far as possible receive sufficient natural light...

        2. 8.2. Lighting installations in rooms containing workstations and in passageways must...

        3. 8.3. Workplaces in which workers are especially exposed to risks in...

      9. 9. Floors, walls, ceilings and roofs of rooms

        1. 9.1. The floors of rooms must have no dangerous bumps, holes...

        2. 9.2. The surfaces of floors, walls and ceilings in rooms must...

        3. 9.3. Transparent or translucent walls, in particular all-glass partitions, in rooms...

        4. 9.4. Access to roofs made of materials of insufficient strength must...

      10. 10. Windows and skylights

        1. 10.1. It must be possible for workers to open, close, adjust...

        2. 10.2. Windows and skylights must be designed in conjunction with equipment...

      11. 11. Doors and gates

        1. 11.1. The position, number and dimensions of doors and gates, and...

        2. 11.2. Transparent doors must be appropriately marked at a conspicuous level....

        3. 11.3. Swing doors and gates must be transparent or have see-through...

        4. 11.4. If transparent or translucent surfaces in doors and gates are...

        5. 11.5. Sliding doors must be fitted with a safety device to...

        6. 11.6. Doors and gates opening upwards must be fitted with a...

        7. 11.7. Doors along escape routes must be appropriately marked.

        8. 11.8. Doors for pedestrians must be provided in the immediate vicinity...

        9. 11.9. Mechanical doors and gates must function in such a way...

      12. 12. Traffic routes — danger areas

        1. 12.1. Traffic routes, including stairs, fixed ladders and loading bays and...

        2. 12.2. Routes used for pedestrian traffic and/or goods traffic must be...

        3. 12.3. Sufficient clearance must be allowed between vehicle traffic routes and...

        4. 12.4. Where the use and equipment of rooms so requires for...

        5. 12.5. If the workplaces contain danger areas in which, owing to...

      13. 13. Specific measures for escalators and travelators

      14. 14. Loading bays and ramps

        1. 14.1. Loading bays and ramps must be suitable for the dimensions...

        2. 14.2. Loading bays must have at least one exit point.

        3. 14.3. Loading ramps must as far as possible be safe enough...

      15. 15. Room dimensions and air space in rooms — freedom of...

        1. 15.1. Workrooms must have sufficient surface area, height and air space...

        2. 15.2. The dimensions of the free unoccupied area at the workstation...

      16. 16. Rest rooms

        1. 16.1. Where the safety or health of workers, in particular because...

        2. 16.2. Rest rooms must be large enough and equipped with an...

        3. 16.3. In rest rooms appropriate measures must be introduced for the...

        4. 16.4. If working hours are regularly and frequently interrupted and there...

      17. 17. Pregnant women and nursing mothers

      18. 18. Sanitary equipment

        1. 18.1. Changing rooms and lockers

          1. 18.1.1. Appropriate changing rooms must be provided for workers if they...

          2. 18.1.2. Changing rooms must be sufficiently large and have facilities to...

          3. 18.1.3. Provision must be made for separate changing rooms or separate...

          4. 18.1.4. If changing rooms are not required under 18.1.1, each worker...

        2. 18.2. Showers and washbasins

          1. 18.2.1. Adequate and suitable showers must be provided for workers if...

          2. 18.2.2. The shower rooms must be sufficiently large to permit each...

          3. 18.2.3. Where showers are not required under the first subparagraph of...

          4. 18.2.4. Where the rooms housing the showers or washbasins are separate...

        3. 18.3. Lavatories and washbasins

      19. 19. First aid rooms

        1. 19.1. One or more first aid rooms must be provided where...

        2. 19.2. First aid rooms must be fitted with essential first aid...

        3. 19.3. In addition, first aid equipment must be available in all...

      20. 20. Handicapped workers

      21. 21. Outdoor workplaces (special provisions)

        1. 21.1. Workstations, traffic routes and other areas or installations outdoors which...

        2. 21.2. Workplaces outdoors must be adequately lit by artificial lighting if...

        3. 21.3. When workers are employed at workstations outdoors, such workstations must...

    2. ANNEX II

      MINIMUM HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKPLACES ALREADY IN USE, AS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 4 OF THE DIRECTIVE

      1. 1. Preliminary note

      2. 2. Stability and solidity

      3. 3. Electrical installations

      4. 4. Emergency routes and exits

        1. 4.1. Emergency routes and exits must remain clear and lead as...

        2. 4.2. In the event of danger, it must be possible for...

        3. 4.3. There must be an adequate number of escape routes and...

        4. 4.4. Emergency exit doors must open outwards.

        5. 4.5. Specific emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs...

        6. 4.6. Emergency doors must not be locked.

        7. 4.7. Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with...

      5. 5. Fire detection and fire fighting

        1. 5.1. Depending on the dimensions and use of the buildings, the...

        2. 5.2. Non-automatic fire-fighting equipment must be easily accessible and simple to...

      6. 6. Ventilation of enclosed workplaces

      7. 7. Room temperature

        1. 7.1. During working hours, the temperature in rooms containing workstations must...

        2. 7.2. The temperature in rest areas, rooms for duty staff, sanitary...

      8. 8. Natural and artificial room lighting

        1. 8.1. Workplaces must as far as possible receive sufficient natural light...

        2. 8.2. Workplaces in which workers are especially exposed to risks in...

      9. 9. Doors and gates

        1. 9.1. Transparent doors must be appropriately marked at a conspicuous level....

        2. 9.2. Swing doors and gates must be transparent or have see-through...

      10. 10. Danger areas

      11. 11. Rest rooms and rest areas

        1. 11.1. Where the safety or health of workers, in particular because...

        2. 11.2. Rest rooms and rest areas must be equipped with tables...

        3. 11.3. In rest rooms and rest areas appropriate measures must be...

      12. 12. Pregnant women and nursing mothers

      13. 13. Sanitary equipment

        1. 13.1. Changing rooms and lockers

          1. 13.1.1. Appropriate changing rooms must be provided for workers if they...

          2. 13.1.2. Changing rooms must have facilities to enable each worker to...

          3. 13.1.3. Provision must be made for separate changing rooms or separate...

        2. 13.2. Showers, lavatories and washbasins

          1. 13.2.1. Workplaces must be fitted out in such a way that...

          2. 13.2.2. The showers and washbasins must be equipped with running water...

          3. 13.2.3. Provision must be made for separate showers or separate use...

      14. 14. First aid equipment

      15. 15. Handicapped workers

      16. 16. Movement of pedestrians and vehicles

      17. 17. Outdoor workplaces (special provisions)

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