Brussels Sets First-Ever Cobalt Exposure Limits as EU Overhauls Worker Protection Against Carcinogens
Published on 11/03/2026 at 03:41 | Editorial boerse-global.de
European employers in metalworking, welding and beyond will have until 20 November 2028 to write the EU's first binding cobalt exposure limits into national law, after Directive (EU) 2026/2450 was published in the Official Journal on 30 October 2026.
The legislation, adopted by the Council of the European Union on 19 October 2026, amends existing Directive 2004/37/EC and enters into force across the bloc on 19 November 2026. Its backers estimate the measures will prevent roughly 1,700 cases of lung cancer and a further 19,000 work-related illnesses over the next four decades.
Why the urgency? Recital 11 of the directive projects a 330% rise in industrial cobalt use by 2050.
Two tiers for cobalt — and a grace period
For cobalt and its inorganic compounds, the revised rules set a limit of 0.01 mg/m³ for the inhalable fraction and 0.0025 mg/m³ for the alveolar fraction. Industry gets breathing room: until 20 November 2032, transitional values of 0.02 mg/m³ (inhalable) and 0.0042 mg/m³ (alveolar) apply.
Mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) face a new ceiling of 0.00007 mg/m³, measured as benzo[a]pyrene. Certain metallurgical activities may use a transitional limit of 0.014 mg/m³ until 20 November 2033.
Isoprene carries an occupational exposure limit of 8.5 mg/m³ (3 ppm) over an 8-hour reference period, with no transition. For 1,4-dioxane, the limits are 7.3 mg/m³ (2 ppm) over 8 hours and 73 mg/m³ (20 ppm) as a short-term value. The directive also flags skin absorption and introduces a biological limit value specific to 1,4-dioxane: 45 mg (2-hydroxyethoxy)acetic acid per gram of creatinine in urine.
New exposure limits for cobalt, PAHs and other hazardous substances mean the way you assess and document chemical risks is about to come under fresh scrutiny. A free COSHH toolkit gives you 43 ready-to-use templates, checklists and toolbox talks to keep your hazardous-substance assessments compliant. Download the free COSHH Risk Assessment Toolkit
Welding fumes, lead and mercury
Welding fumes containing category 1A or 1B CMR substances — nickel, cadmium or chromium-VI, for instance — are formally added to Annex I of the directive. The European Commission is to examine whether individual substances in welding fumes need limits of their own.
Heavy metals are covered too. Mercury and divalent inorganic compounds get a value of 0.02 mg/m³. For lead, the maximum permissible blood level steps down: 30 ?g/100 ml until 31 December 2028, then 15 ?g/100 ml from 1 January 2029.
Protective gear as a last resort — with a right to rest
Beyond substance limits, the act sets rules on how work is organised. Personal protective equipment (PPE) may in principle be used only as a last resort. Where employees must wear it anyway, Article 10(3) gives them a legal right to regular recovery breaks in an uncontaminated area; employers determine the length and frequency of those breaks through the relevant risk assessment.
With PPE now a last resort and rest breaks tied directly to your risk assessment, the quality of your documentation matters more than ever. A free toolkit with 41 templates and checklists — covering fire safety, manual handling, first aid and lone working — helps you record every control measure properly. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
Additional organisational safeguards apply to firefighters and emergency personnel. In the health sector, a training obligation is anchored in the rules, covering the safe handling of hazardous medicinal products as well.
