Article 4
Determination and assessment of risk of hazardous chemical agents 1. In carrying out the obligations laid down in Articles 6(3) and 9(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC, the employer shall first determine whether any hazardous chemical agents are present at the workplace. If so, he shall then assess any risk to the safety and health of workers arising from the presence of those chemical agents, taking into consideration the following: - their hazardous properties, - information on safety and health that shall be provided by the supplier, (e.g. the relevant safety data sheet in accordance with the provisions of Directive 67/548/EEC or Directive 88/379/EEC), - the level, type and duration of exposure, - the circumstances of work involving such agents, including their amount, - any occupational exposure limit values or biological limit values established on the territory of the Member State in question, - the effect of preventive measures taken or to be taken, - where available, the conclusions to be drawn from any health surveillance already undertaken. The employer shall obtain additional information which is needed for the risk assessment from the supplier or from other readily available sources. Where appropriate, this information shall comprise the specific assessment concerning the risk to users established on the basis of Community legislation on chemical agents. 2. The employer must be in possession of an assessment of the risk in accordance with Article 9 of Directive 89/391/EEC, and shall identify which measures have been taken in accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of this Directive. The risk assessment shall be documented in a suitable form according to national law and practice, and may include a justification by the employer that the nature and extent of the risks related to chemical agents make a further detailed risk assessment unnecessary. The risk assessment shall be kept up-to-date, particularly if there have been significant changes which could render it out-of-date, or when the results of health surveillance show it to be necessary. 3. Certain activities within the undertaking or establishment, such as maintenance, in respect of which it is foreseeable that there is a potential for significant exposure, or which may result in deleterious effects to safety and health for other reasons, even after all technical measures have been taken, shall be included in the risk assessment. 4. In the case of activities involving exposure to several hazardous chemical agents, the risk shall be assessed on the basis of the risk presented by all such chemical agents in combination. 5. In the case of a new activity involving hazardous chemical agents, work shall only commence after an assessment of the risk of that activity has been made and any preventive measures identified have been implemented. 6. Practical guidelines for the determination and assessment of risk, and for their review and, if necessary, adjustment, shall be developed in accordance with Article 12(2).