One of the most important tasks of the Committee for Hazardous Substances, which reports to the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, is the development and constant updating of the Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances (TRGS). These must be taken into account by companies when determining protective measures in the workplace.
TRGS 900, which specifies limit values for the concentration of substances in the air at the workplace, was only recently amended. Nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide were added to the list of substances with occupational exposure limits. The results of a previous study were certainly a decisive factor in this decision. During workplace measurements in workshops, fire stations, emergency services and transport companies, it was found that although particulate diesel engine emissions decreased compared to older engines, nitrogen monoxide levels increased. The reason for this lies in the more efficient fuel combustion, which simultaneously burns atmospheric nitrogen to a greater extent to form nitrogen oxides. The Committee for Hazardous Substances therefore recommends permanent extraction of the pollutants directly at the exhaust as the most effective protective measure. (Source: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
