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Minerva Medicolegale 2009 June;129(2):91-100

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

The role of the precautionary principle in health protection from chemical risk

Tassoni G., Zampi M., Froldi R.

Istituto di Medicina Legale Università degli studi di Macerata Macerata, Italia

Health protection from chemical risk in Europe is based essentially on the European Commu-nity Directives and on National implementing Law. Fundamental rules in this matter are contained in the Legislative Decree 25/2002, designed to implement Directive 98/24/CE The aim of the present article was to analyse the legal regime set up by that Decree with a view to seeing what are the role and content of the precautionary principle. The authors assert that the precautionary approach must be considered as the inspiring principle of the legal regime set up in order to protect heath in work environment. Legal and medical implications of this assumption are discussed accordingly.