Germany published a guidance document titled, Safe Recovery and Disposal of Wastes Containing Nanomaterials on August 1, 2019. The document provides guidance on aspects of good product stewardship related to nanomaterials. It discusses the legal framework, conclusions from regulatory requirements, and the safe recovery or disposal of wastes containing nanomaterials. The guidance can be downloaded at the link below. 
 
Additional Information:
https://www.vci.de/vci-online/themen/chemikaliensicherheit/nanomaterialien/2012-02-09-sichere-entsorgung-von-abfaellen-die-nanomaterialien-enthalten-vci.jsp. 

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for Germany, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

China issued a consultation on the Technical Specifications for Pollution Control of Waste Lead Storage Batteries (Draft for Comment), revising the Technical Specifications for Waste Lead Acid Battery Treatment Pollution Control.
The draft intends to regulate the pollution from the collection, storage, transportation, utilization and disposal of waste lead batteries, and prevent the pollution of waste lead batteries. Public feedback was due by November 12, 2019. 
 
Additional Information:
http://www.mee.gov.cn/xxgk2018/xxgk/xxgk06/201910/t20191016_737815.html. 

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for China, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

​China issued a consultation on Three National PPE Standards:

- high visibility warning clothing for protective clothing occupation;
​- protective clothing flame retardant clothing; and 
- foot protection safety shoes.

​​
The drafts strengthen the standardization and revision of personal protective equipment standards and further improve the level of safety production and security. Public comments must be submitted by November 27, 2019. 
 
Additional Information:
https://www.mem.gov.cn/hd/zqyj/201909/t20190929_337151.shtml. 

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for China, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

The European Commission has a feedback period for a Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures as regards information relating to emergency health response. The amendments would change Annex VIII on emergency health response to clarify the text and extend the first compliance deadline by one year to January 1, 2021. The feedback period closed on August 19, 2019. 
 
Additional Information:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2019-4744568_en.

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for the European Union, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

​Beijing issued a notice of the Regulations on the Implementation of the Awards for Reporting Ecological Environment Violations.

​The Regulations encourage the public to actively participate in ecological environmental protection work, strengthen the social supervision of ecological and environmental violations, and seriously investigate and deal with illegal activities in the ecological environment. The Regulations were implemented on the date of issuance. 
 
Additional Information:
http://sthjj.beijing.gov.cn/bjhrb/xxgk/fgwj/qtwj/hbjfw/855648/index.html. 

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for Beijing municipal region, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

The European Union issued Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1390 of 31 July 2019 amending, for the purpose of its adaptation to technical progress, the Annex to Regulation (EC) No. 440/2008 laying down test methods pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

​In order to reduce the number of animals used for experimental purposes, two new test methods for the assessment of ecotoxicity and nine new test methods for the determination of toxicity to human health were laid down. seven test methods were updated. The regulation went into effect on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. 
 
Additional Information:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019R1390&from=EN.

​If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for the EU, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

​Author: Ellen Pinkos Cobb
​
South Korea has recently enacted, and Japan has recently passed, legislation to prevent workplace bullying. The South Korea bullying law, effective May 29, 2019, creates new employer obligations and provides a legal definition of workplace harassment for the first time. Japan passed revisions to several laws to prevent "pawa hara," or workplace bullying, requiring ​companies to combat bullying and abuse of power in the workplace.

Under an amendment to the South Korea Labor Standards Act, new employer obligations include prohibiting workplace harassment; promptly conducting an investigation once an employer is notified or made aware of workplace harassment allegations; protecting the victim through measures such as paid leave or changed workplace assignments; taking action such as disciplining the harasser or changing the harasser's workplace; not retaliating against either the victim or the individual who reported the harassment; and specifying in Rules of Employment how an individual can report workplace harassment.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has published a Workplace Harassment Prevention and Response Manual which sets out criteria to determine conduct that constitutes workplace harassment.

The employer is not obligated to provide its employees with any harassment training or prevention education. Punishment is only provided for one type of violation - criminal punishments in the form of potential imprisonment for three years and a fine of up to KRW 30 million for employers that retaliate against an alleged victim during an investigation.

Japan will require companies to combat bullying and abuse of power in the workplace. Through revisions made to five laws, aspects of workplace harassment will be defined and prohibited for the first time, and companies will be required to take stricter action to prevent forms of workplace harassment. The revisions also encompass other forms of harassment, such as harassment against pregnant women. The legislation, however, does not stipulate what the punishment would be for companies that violate the new requirements.

Sources: MOEL, MOEL published Workplace Harassment Prevention and Response Manual at https://www.moel.go.kr/english/poli/poliNewsnews_view.jsp?idx=1506.

Japan Times Japan bolsters fight against workplace harassment, but laws lack punitive measures at https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/05/29/national/japan-bolsters-fight-workplace-harassment-punitive-measures-elusive/#.XXuo9ShKg2w.

Quartz at Work, Japan finally passed laws to prevent "pawa hara," or workplace bullying at https://qz.com/work/1631097/japan-passes-laws-to-prevent-pawa-hara-workplace-bullying/.

​The Isosceles Group offers Workplace Wellness Assessments and Workplace Bullying Assessments and Checklists. If you would like Isosceles to develop an assessment for a particular jurisdiction, please contact Brittany Palmer for a quote at [email protected] or (617) 330-2800.

New Zealand issued the Climate Change (Stationary Energy and Industrial Processes) Amendment Regulations 2019, amending the Climate Change (Stationary Energy and Industrial Processes) Regulations 2009.

​The Regulations update the default emissions factors for classes of mined or purchased natural gas to take account of changes in gas emissions and add the Radnor gas field to the classes of natural gas defined by reference to the field at which they are mined. The Amendment Regulations go into effect on January 1, 2020.
 
New Zealand also issued the Climate Change (Other Removal Activities) Amendment Regulations 2019, amending the Climate Change (Other Removal Activities) Regulations 2009. The Regulations introduce the refrigeration system of a shipping container into the definition of excluded goods. Excluded goods under regulation 8 are not subject to the threshold for the activity of exporting synthetic greenhouse gas. The Regulations go into effect on January 1, 2020. 
 
Additional Information:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2019/0237/latest/LMS255937.html?search=ad_act%40regulation___2019___25_ac%40bn%40rc%40dn%40apub%40aimp%40bgov%40bloc%40bpri%40bmem%40rpub%40rimp_ac%40rc%40ainf%40anif%40aaif%40aase%40arep%40bcur%40rinf%40rnif%40raif%40rasm%40rrev_y_aw_se&p=1.

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2019/0236/latest/LMS256045.html?search=ad_act%40regulation___2019___25_ac%40bn%40rc%40dn%40apub%40aimp%40bgov%40bloc%40bpri%40bmem%40rpub%40rimp_ac%40rc%40ainf%40anif%40aaif%40aase%40arep%40bcur%40rinf%40rnif%40raif%40rasm%40rrev_y_aw_se&p=1.

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for New Zealand, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

Author: Ellen Pinkos Cobb

​​In light of surprising workplace sexual harassment statistics, the UK government is taking actions aimed at determining whether the current laws provide the protections they are supposed to provide to women. The most recent action is a public consultation aimed at gathering evidence about whether the current laws on protecting people from sexual harassment in the workplace are effective. The consultation acknowledged that sexual harassment in the workplace persists at "a startling rate".

The UK published the consultation on harassment in the workplace in response to concerns raised by the Women and Equalities Select Committee in their 2018 report. The consultation began on July 11th and ends on October 2, 2019, seeking comments on the following:

• The evidence for the introduction of a mandatory duty on employers to protect workers from harassment in the workplace;
• How to strengthen and clarify the laws relating to third party harassment; and
• Evidence to extend Employment Tribunal time limits in the Equality Act from three months.

 
This follows the Government's announcement in December 2018 that it will introduce a new statutory code of practice to tackle workplace sexual harassment.

Source:
Gov.UK, Consultation on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace athttps://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace.

​The Isosceles Group offers Workplace Wellness Assessments and Workplace Bullying Assessments and Checklists. If you would like Isosceles to develop an assessment for a particular jurisdiction, please contact Brittany Palmer for a quote at [email protected] or (617) 330-2800.

Author: Ellen Pinkos Cobb
​
Amid allegations of institutionalized harassment being built into the management system, a long awaited first of its kind workplace bullying trial took place in France this summer. A CEO and senior executives have been accused of harassing employees so relentlessly, that workers ended up committing suicide. This is the first trial in France for workplace bullying that involves a company of this size, currently the tenth largest mobile network operator in the world.

In 2016, following a seven-year inquiry into a wave of suicides at France Telecom (now Orange), the Paris prosecutor recommended that France Telecom's former chief executive and six other former senior executives be put on trial for bullying (known in France as moral harassment or psychological harassment). The accused faced charges linked to bullying and creating a climate that drove between 19 and 35 employees to take their own lives in 2008 and 2009.

The prosecutor found that the executives, needing to restructure and significantly downsize the business, resolved to make life so unbearable that the workers would leave. As the workers were state employees - employees for life - they could not be fired. The prosecutor alleged the following: that in order to encourage employees to leave, managers were trained to demoralize their teams and their bonuses were dependent on this; that work inspectors underlined the brutal management methods, which had an adverse effect on employees' physical and mental wellbeing; and that management failed to take into account alarms and warnings over the impact of its actions and the psychological risks to staff. When asked to explain the rash of suicides, the CEO described it as a "fashion", sparking widespread outrage.

Under French law, anyone who harasses another with repeated actions with the aim or the effect of degrading working conditions is liable to a year in jail and a fine of €15,000 ($16,500). A verdict is expected by year's end. 

Sources:
The Guardian, Former executives at France Télécom go on trial over staff suicides at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/06/former-executives-at-france-telecom-go-on-trial-over-staff-suicides-orange.

Fortune, France Asks a Devastating Question: What Role Did Telecom Executives Play in 35 Employee Suicides? at https://fortune.com/2019/05/08/french-telecom-orange-trial-suicide/.

The Isosceles Group offers Workplace Wellness Assessments and Workplace Bullying Assessments and Checklists. If you would like Isosceles to develop an assessment for a particular jurisdiction, please contact Brittany Palmer for a quote at [email protected] or (617) 330-2800.