Safety at Work Regulations (Industrial Hygiene and
Public Health for Workers and the Public at Large
Exposed to Asbestos, Talc and Crystalline Silica)
(Amendment), 1998
Safety at Work Regulations, which cover the subject from both the occupational and
public health aspects, were originally issued in 1984, but were subsequently amended to
conform with new developments in medical research and technology worldwide.
This amendment sets additional requirements for worker safety and environmental
protection and prohibits the import or use of additional types of asbestos cement
including amosite. Furthermore, the amendment establishes the occupational standard for
all types of asbestos at 0.3 fibers/cm3 over an eight-hour period (down from 0.4
previously).
Current regulations restrict the import of asbestos and its byproducts to Israel to 5000
tons a year crude asbestos (chrysotile) and 1250 tons a year asbestoscement products,
prohibit the sale of asbestos or asbestos components in several products, and limit the
asbestos content of asbestos-cement products to not more than 10%.
Safety at Work Regulations
(Material Safety Data Sheets), 1998
These regulations require producers, importers, distributors or sellers of a hazardous
substance to supply recipients with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and call for the
maintenance of an MSDS in the factory or business in order to inform users about
hazards in their workplace. The MSDS compiles relevant data on a hazardous substance
in a uniform format and provides information on how the material can be safely handled,
used, and stored. The MSDS must include information on the following: chemical
product and company identification, composition and information on ingredients, hazards
identification, first aid measures, fire fighting measures, accidental release measures,
handling and storage, exposure controls and personal protection, physical and chemical
properties, stability and reactivity, toxicological information, ecological information,
disposal considerations, transport information, regulatory information and other data.
Licensing of Businesses Regulations
(Waste Transfer Stations), 1998
In a further effort to improve solid waste management in Israel, the Minister of the
Environment, after consultation with the Minister of Health, promulgated these
regulations on the construction and operation of waste transfer stations, used to transfer
solid waste or construction debris from one installation to another and/or for the
classification of waste into components for recycling or reuse. Construction specifications
relate to such requirements as infrastructure facilities, fencing, signposts, fire-fighting
equipment, rinsing facilities, and drainage canals. The regulations specifically prohibit
entrance of hazardous waste or vehicles in which waste is improperly handled into the
transfer station. The operator of the station is required to register full details on
each vehicle entering the site. The waste may not be kept at the station for longer than 24
hours unless it has been classified into components for recycling or reuse.
Additional provisions relate to general cleanliness, sanitation and leachate disposal and
treatment.
Hazardous Substances (Disposal of Radioactive Waste)
Regulations, 2002
These regulations, promulgated by the Minister of the Environment in consultation with
other relevant ministries, were promulgated in February 2002 and came into effect in
April 2002. They regulate the treatment and disposal of radioactive waste by setting
prohibitions, obligations and limitations on the disposal of different types of radioactive
wastes - solid, liquid, sealed and unsealed. Radioactive waste must be disposed either to
the national repository for radioactive waste or to municipal waste sites following
specific steps to bring the wastes to a level that is permitted for safe disposal. Additional
prohibitions or limitations are set on burning radioactive waste, disposing of animal
carcasses containing radioactive waste, and disposing of liquid radioactive waste to the
sewage system. Holders of radioactive waste are required to keep careful records on
radioactive wastes and the manner of their disposal.
Hazardous Substances (Disposal of Radioactive Waste)
Regulations, 2002