New Dutch Legal Limit Values: What Changed in December 2022

On 12 December 2022, new Dutch legal occupational exposure limits were published in Staatscourant nr 32933. These changes have been integrated into DOHSBase and contain several noteworthy updates that affect day-to-day exposure assessment.

1. Gas and Vapour Substances Now Have ppm Values

Previously, Dutch legal limit values for gases and vapours were expressed only in mg/m3. The updated regulation now also provides values in ppm (parts per million) for applicable substances. This is a practical improvement: ppm values are temperature- and pressure-independent, making them easier to work with in field measurements and when comparing values across jurisdictions.

In DOHSBase, both the mg/m3 and ppm values are displayed for these substances, consistent with how the regulation presents them.

2. Arsenic Limit Reduced 100-Fold

One of the most significant changes is the reduction of the occupational exposure limit for arsenic — from 28 ug/m3 to 0.28 ug/m3, a factor of 100. Arsenic is classified as a human carcinogen (Carc. 1A), and this dramatic reduction reflects the current scientific understanding of its carcinogenic potency.

This new limit value is extremely low and will present significant challenges for workplaces where arsenic exposure occurs, including certain metal smelting and refining operations, semiconductor manufacturing and wood preservation activities. Employers will need to verify that their current exposure levels comply with this new limit.

3. Soybean Flour Added to Flour Dust Category

Soybean flour has been explicitly added to the flour dust substance category. This means that soybean flour is now covered by the same regulatory limit value as other flour types. Soybean flour is a known respiratory sensitiser, and its inclusion provides regulatory clarity for workplaces handling soy-based products.

4. Flour Dust Limit Raised from 1.2 to 4 mg/m3

The occupational exposure limit for flour dust has been raised from 1.2 mg/m3 to 4 mg/m3. This increase was driven by feasibility considerations, particularly for the bulk transport sector where maintaining compliance with the previous limit of 1.2 mg/m3 proved technically very difficult during loading and unloading operations.

While the health-based recommendation remains at the lower level, the legal limit has been adjusted to reflect what is technically achievable in practice. This is an example of a feasibility-based limit value — for more on how different types of limit values are ranked, see our article on the limit values hierarchy.

Impact on Exposure Assessments

These changes affect both the values used in exposure assessments and the way results are reported. Occupational hygienists should verify that their assessment tools and reference data reflect the current legal limits. DOHSBase is updated to include all changes from Staatscourant nr 32933.

For background on how Dutch legal limit values fit within the broader framework of occupational exposure limits, see basic limit value information.

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