The activity of the Interdepartmental Commission for Maximum Admissible Concentrations and Intensitiesfor Agents Harmful to Health in the Working Environment in 2020 and the work plan in 2021 r.

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In 2020 the Commission met at three sessions, during which 9 documentations for recommended exposure limits of chemical substances, were discussed. Moreover the Commission discussed on: the frequency of tests and measurements in relation to works in which the respirable fraction of crystalline silica is produced, changes in Annex 2 to the Regulation on MAC and MAI, point C.1: "Hot microclimate" and updating of Directive 2020/739/EC based on the PN-EN ISO 7243: 2018-01 standard. The Commission suggested to the minister responsible for labour issues the following changes in the list of MAC values: introduce 5 substances into the list of occupational exposure levels of chemical agents harmful to health (4-chloro-2-tolylamine and its hydrochloride, basic red 9, furan, nitrilotriacetic acid and its salts, N-methylformamide), changes in the current values for 3 chemical substances and adaptation of the Polish list of OEL (MAC) values to the directives: 2017/2398/EU [wood dust, chromium (VI) compounds] and the fourth draft directive amending Directive 2004/37/EC (acrylonitrile). The Commission also proposed changes to Annex 2 to the hot microclimate. The Interdepartmental Commission for MAC and MAI supported the request of the Group of Experts on Biological Agents to include the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the list constituting Annex 1 to the Regulation of the Minister of Health on harmful biological agents for health in the work environment and health protection of workers professionally exposed to these factors that implement into Polish law the Commission Directive (EU) 2020/739 of June 3, 2020. Four numbers of the "Principles and Methods of Assessing the Working Environment " were published in 2020. The booklets included: article on coronaviruses, 10 monographic documentation with justification of the proposed values and their maximum allowable concentrations (NDS, NDSCh), 9 methods for determining the concentration of harmful factors in the working environment, including the method of determining elemental carbon in exhaust gases emitted from diesel engines and report on the activities of the Interdepartmental Committee for MAC and MAI in 2017-2019. In 2021, 3 meetings of the Interdepartmental Commission for MAC and MAI are planned. During the meetings, the MAC/MAC-STEL values for about 10 chemicals will be discussed and work will be continued on the adaptation to national regulations the proposed binding values for chemicals with carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic effects prepared by the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC). ) These tasks are also in line with the activities of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.. This article discusses the problems of occupational safety and health, which are covered by health sciences and environmental engineering.