National level:

1. The Agreement on Workers Health Protection through the Good Handling and Use of Crystalline Silica and Products Containing it The Agreement in action… NEPSI, the European Network on Silica

2. How to implement? • EU level: NEPSI • Dissemination, promotion and guidance through the signatories National level: • Under Article 139 (1) & (2) EC Treaty, a European SDA creates a contractual relationship between management and labour • As an autonomous SDA, the Silica agreement requires implementation in accordance with the procedures and practices specific to national industrial relations systems Company level:  Application (initial risk assessment, results, reporting)

3. NEPSI, the European Network on Silica Parties signed SDAon 25 April 2006 Signatoriesapply SDA as ofits entry into effect on 25 October 2006 NEPSI Council & Secretariat supervise application and interpretation

4. NEPSI Structure: The Council Each signatory European industry sector association and trade union federation is represented within a bi-partite Council, which meets at least every reporting year. The Council takes decisions by consensus or at a double majority of 75%. • The Council is in charge of: • adaptation of the Good Practices • communication with third parties through a secretariat • follow-up of the application of the agreement • consolidation of the biennial report

5. Downstream user industry representatives nominated as vice-chairs Producing industry representatives nominated as chairs NEPSI Structure: The Council This initiative benefits from a grant of the EC

6. NEPSI structure needed to… Facilitate application • Disseminate: translation into 20 languages, publication in the OJ • Advertise: www.nepsi.eu, including short information folder • Explain: joint promotion, training and guidance tools, road shows • Structure: online reporting system Keep the momentum going ►Although the first quantitative official reporting will be carried out in 2008, signatories decided that a qualitative preliminary reportingon the status of implementation would be held in June 2007 at national and sector (EU) levels

7. 2007 preliminary report Qualitative reportfilled in at national level only, consolidated at sector (EU) and Council level • The NEPSI Council met on 21 June 2007 to: • Review the individual reports • Approve the 2007 consolidated preliminary report (summary report) on the application of the Agreement The Summary Report was sent to authorities on 30 June 2007 An Executive Summary was provided to the public in July 2007 and is available on the NEPSI website.

8. 2007 preliminary report Contents of the individual reporting format Practical modalities: deadline, addressee, short explanation… Reporting entity’s details • Dissemination of : • The Agreement • Application / training tools • Contacts and presentations (social partners, institutions, other stakeholders) This initiative benefits from a grant of the EC

9. 2007 preliminary report Contents • Application: • Organisation of training sessions (target, venue, subject) • Nomination of responsible persons • Research Free text

10. The Way Forward • The agreement remains open for further signature by sectors not yet involved • The application of the Agreement is already being achieved beyond its scope: while it is only applicable in the European Union the good practices developed in the GPG start to be voluntarily implemented worldwide by Group Companies • Non-EU Countries such as Norway are handling the translation and application of the Agreement between national representatives of Trade Unions and Industry • Triggered social dialogue discussions in sectors and countries where this hardly occurred up to now • NEXT deadline: 2008 report

11. Check lists

12. Action Plan for Signatory Parties • Distribution of translated documentation to Members • Raise awareness about the SDA and GPG: Websites, press releases, presentations, conferences… • Creation of tools: Briefing paper, use of the NEPSI reading guidelines & Q/A for the Agreement, training material… • Develop a consistent communication policy / coherent documentation for external communication on the SDA • Organise reporting e.g. nominate responsible person at national sector level (association / champion) • Promotion within other sectors

13. Company Check List • Disseminate the Agreement (including its Annexes, specifically the Good Practice Guide) to all operational entities at which RCS occurs • Implement and follow-up the risk assessment procedure • Organise Health Surveillance and Disseminate Annex 8 – Health Surveillance Protocol for Silicosis to the employee(s) or external medical advisors who have the responsibility for the safety and health program. • Organise Dust Monitoring and disseminate Annex 2 – Dust Monitoring Protocol to the experts in charge • Organise and install a monitoring system for the application of the Agreement and Good Practices for each site (according to Article 6) • Organise appropriate training for the implementation of the Good Practices at company / site levels • Disseminate Annex 3 – Reporting format to the persons in charge of the monitoring of the application of the Agreement and Good Practices at site and company level

14. Tools provided in the Agreement • Management/Supervision: Task Sheet 2.1.17 • Training: Task Sheet 2.1.19 • Personal Protective Equipment: Task sheet 2.1.15 • Dust Monitoring: Task Sheet 2.1.6 & Annex 2 • Health Surveillance: Annex 8 • Risk Assessment Procedure: Part I, Chapter 4 of the Good Practice Guide • Reporting format: Annex 3 • Working with contractors: Task Sheet 2.1.20