A 2013 report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has found that while standards in plating firms exposing workers to carcinogenic cadmium, chromium and nickel have improved and effective controls were possible, many were still failing to meet the requirements of the chemical safety regulations COSHH. The report from the UK safety regulator noted the “results indicate that overall, electroplaters had the highest exposure potential in this study. However, other worker groups, specifically maintenance staff, chemists and those involved in ancillary work (eg. jigging and unmasking of electroplated items), also received elevated exposures… Some important aspects of exposure control within electroplating are still not completely understood.” So, controls were not applied, not understood and left a much wider group of workers at risk than cancer statistics might subsequently link to work. The report found particularly problems with nickel. “Although generally controlled below the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL), nickel inhalation exposures are frequently not controlled to the standards set out in SEA/HSE guidance or the requirements under the COSHH regulations. These require control of carcinogen and asthmagen exposure to a level which is as low as reasonably practicable.” Critics argue that under European law HSE should be requiring a higher level of control over carcinogens than this general “reasonably practicable” duty that applies to all substances.

Exposure to hexavalent chromium, nickel and cadmium compounds in the electroplating industry, Prepared by the Health and Safety Laboratory for the Health and Safety Executive, Research Report 963, 2013.