Hydrogen sulphide; Health-based recommended occupatioanl exposure limit

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, The Health Council of the Netherlands sets health-based recommended occupational exposure limits (HBR-OEL) for toxic substances in the workplace air. These recommendations are made by the Council’s Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Standards (DECOS). It constitutes the first step in a three step procedure which leads to legally binding occupational exposure limits.  The present report on hydrogen sulphide was prepared in cooperation with the Nordic Expert Group (NEG). The joint report on the consequences of occupational exposure to hydrogen sulphide, published in Sweden in 2001 (Arbete och Hälsa 2001:14), is included in part two of this document. Part 1 mainly consists of a summary of the most important health effects and a health hazard assessment by DECOS.  The committee’s conclusions are based on scientific publications obtained from data retrieval systems from prior to August 2004.