The agreement is a best practice guide containing more than 60 questionnaires covering all potentially exposed jobs in the signatory sectors. In 2006, IMA-Europe signed an agreement with 15 other industries and their social partners on protecting workers` health through the proper use of crystalline silica and ensothatic products. Together, the signatories of NEPSi, the European silica network, are implementing effective safeguards and monitoring the implementation of the agreement over the years. Through this agreement, the signatories commit to controlling workers` exposure to dust and crystalline silicon dioxide by applying best practices. This is the first and only multi-sector social dialogue agreement signed at European level and published in the Official Journal (JO L 347 of 31.12.2006, p. 1). As nepsi social partners, we count on the support of the European institutions to maintain and develop this very effective social dialogue agreement. The agreement was translated into 20 official EU languages and came into force six months after it was signed on 25 October 2006. It remains open to sectors that wish to join in the future. It is an autonomous agreement that is therefore implemented by the signatory states. These discussions culminated in the signing of the first cross-sector social dialogue agreement in 2006 in the presence of Vladimir Epidla, then European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunity.

Members of the multi-sector silica trading platform (NePSi) signed an “autonomous agreement on protecting workers` health through the proper handling and use of crystalline silica and its products,” which came into force on 25 October 2006. The agreement aims to improve the protection of more than two million workers in the signatory sectors from exposure to breathable crystalline silica (SCR). The guidelines cover almost all possible tasks in the industrial sectors and advice on dust monitoring, health monitoring, training and research are included. NEPSI`s social partners welcome the positive recognition of the role of good practices in the social dialogue “Agreement on the protection of workers` health through the proper use of crystalline silica and products, (the nepsi agreement) as part of the first revision of the Directive on Carcinogens and Mutagens at Work (CMD), directive (EU) 2017/2398, as a valuable and necessary instrument to complement regulatory requirements and support their effective implementation. The recognition of the NEPSI agreement is part of the second cmd revision, the Directive (EU) 2019/130, Article 13 bis listing the agreements possibly concluded by the social partners under this directive on the website of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The biennial reference year of the NEPSI is 2020. The final report will be published at the end of 2020. In 2018, CEMBUREAU is proud to announce that, thanks to the efforts of its members, a 100% report on identified sites has been achieved and that 98.93% of employees at risk of exposure to respiratory acid (SCR) are covered by a risk assessment and that an improvement is observed with respect to all key performance indicators (CPI).