Methanol; Health-based recommended occupational exposure limit

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment (Annex A), the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety (DECOS), a committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands, performs scientific evaluations on the toxicity of existing substances that are used at the workplace. The purpose of the evaluations is to recommend a health-based occupational exposure limit for concentrations in the air, provided the database allows derivation of such a value. In the Netherlands, these recommendations serve as a basis in setting public occupational exposure limits by the minister.

Committee

• G.J. Mulder, emeritus professor of toxicology; Leiden University, Leiden, chairman
• R.B. Beems, toxicologic pathologist; formerly employed at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• P.J. Boogaard, toxicologist; Shell International BV, The Hague, advisor
• J.J.A.M. Brokamp, Social and Economic Council, The Hague, advisor
• D.J.J. Heederik, professor of risk assessment in occupational epidemiology; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht
• R. Houba, occupational hygienist; Netherlands Expertise Centre for Occupational Respiratory Disorders, Utrecht
• H. van Loveren, professor of immunotoxicology; Maastricht University, Maastricht, and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• T.M. Pal, occupational physician; Netherlands Centre for Occupational Diseases, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam
• A.H. Piersma, professor of reproductive toxicology; Utrecht University, Utrecht, and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• H.P.J. te Riele, professor of molecular biology; VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam
• I.M.C.M. Rietjens, professor of toxicology; Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen
• H. Roelfzema, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Hague, advisor
• G.M.H. Swaen, epidemiologist; Dow Benelux N.V., Terneuzen
• R.C.H. Vermeulen, epidemiologist/environmental hygienist; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht
• R.A. Wouterse, toxicologic pathologist, TNO Quality of Life, Zeist, and professor of translational toxicology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen
• P.B. Wulp, occupational physician; Labour Inspectorate, Groningen
• J.T.J. Stouten, Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, scientific secretary