Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 153: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to EU Directive 2002/44/EC laying down minimum standards for the protection of workers from risks to their health and safety arising or likely to arise from exposure to mechanical vibration, and its transposition deadline of no later than 6 July 2005 and its provision of a transitional period of five years in relation to Section 5 (3) where work equipment is used which was given to workers before 6 July 2007. [46934/08]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 154: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to EU Directive 2002/44/EC laying down minimum standards for the protection of workers from risks to their health and safety arising or likely to arise from exposure to mechanical vibration, its transposition deadline of no later than 6 July 2005 and its provision of a transitional period of five years in relation to Section 5(3) where work equipment is used which was given to workers before 6 July 2007. [47069/08]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together.

Directive 2002/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (vibration) was originally transposed into Irish law through the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Control of Vibration at Work) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 370 of 2006). These Regulations were subsequently revoked by and reincorporated in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007) in an exercise of consolidation and simplification of regulatory provisions in the area of occupational safety and health.

Specifically, Chapter 2 of Part 5, Regulations 133 to 142, and Schedule 6 of the 2007 General Application Regulations retransposed Directive 2002/44/EC into Irish law.

This Chapter sets out requirements relating to the control of vibration at work including exposure limit values and action values, determination and assessment of risks, provisions aimed at avoiding or reducing exposure, employee information and training, health surveillance, records and effects and exemptions. Regulation 134, inter alia, provides that Regulation 139, relating to the application of exposure limit values, applies on and after 6 July 2010, but not until then, where work equipment is used which was first provided to employees before 6 July 2007 by an employer, and does not permit compliance with the exposure limit values.