Allister votes against Brussels attempt to 'Ban the Tan'
07 September 2005
Speaking after voting to reject the inclusion of natural sunlight in the Commission's proposals for the "Optical Radiation Directive", DUP MEP Jim Allister said:-
"This foolish proposal from the Commission and the Council to require employers to make health and safety provision and face liability for outdoor workers exposed to natural sunshine has been substantially diluted but not totally rejected by the European Parliament today. The Directive appropriately imposes obligations in regard to artificial radiation but it was silly nonsense to try and make employers liable for sunburn. Personal responsibility, rather than unenforceable obligation, on employing farmers and builders, should be the touch-stone, not "nanny control".
Accordingly, I have entered in the record of the Parliament, the following explanation of vote:
Though very supportive of relevant and appropriate health and safety provisions pertaining to employees, I cannot endorse the inclusion of natural sources of optical radiation within this Directive. Employers already have a duty to assess the risk to health and safety and to introduce appropriate control measures as specified in the Framework Directive (89/391/EEC). Thus exposure to the sun is a known risk, for example to the agriculture and building industries, and is already sufficiently catered for. The inclusion of natural sun radiation in the new Directive will disproportionately affect small agricultural and construction businesses and add unnecessary administrative costs, particularly in the Northern regions of Europe.
The wildly varying climates in the various EU Member States are enough to make it clear that European legislation on natural optical radiation is not appropriate. Whilst provisions specific to exposure to artificial radiation are appropriate, the inclusion of natural sunlight radiation caused me to vote against this Directive as excessive and burdensome in its ambit and impact. The foolishness of this proposal suggests that the people of Europe are more in need of protection from Brussels than from the sun!
