S.I. No. 539/2020 - Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

(2) The Principal Regulations and these Regulations may be cited together as the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations 2013 and 2020.

2. In these Regulations “Principal Regulations” means the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations 2013 (

S.I. No. 572 of 2013

).

3. Regulation 16(c) of the Principal Regulation is amended by deleting subparagraph (i).

4. Schedule 1 to the Principal Regulations is amended by deleting the following activity

“3. Work in biotechnology, including the production of pharmaceutical products.”.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

22 November 2020.

LEO VARADKAR,

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(

This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.

)

These Regulations amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations 2013 to give effect to Commission Directive (EU) 2019/1833 of 24 October 2019 (relating to general worker safety from exposure to biological agents) and Commission Directive (EU) 2020/739 of 3 June 2020 (relating specifically to SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19).

These Regulations may be cited as the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

1 OJ No. L 279, 31.10.2019, p. 54.

2 OJ No. L 175, 4.6.2020, p. 11.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

27

th November,

2020.

I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by

section 58

of the

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005

(No. 10 of 2005) (as adapted by the Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 (

S.I. No. 519 of 2020

)), and for the purpose of giving effect to Commission Directive (EU) 2019/1833 of 24 October 2019

1

and Commission Directive (EU) 2020/739 of 3 June 2020

2

, and after consultation with the Health and Safety Authority, hereby make the following regulations