Are new roles being established for occupational health nurses in the health surveillance of workers exposed to reprotoxic agents?

Real Decreto (RD) 665/1997, of May 12, transposed Council Directive 90/394/EEC, of June 28, 1990, on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work and establishes the minimum provisions applicable to activities in which workers may be exposed to carcinogenic or mutagenic agents, with the aim of protecting them and preventing risks related to exposure (1). Since the approval of the aforementioned Directive, it has undergone several modifications that have led to successive updates of RD 665. The most recent one, in compliance with Directive (EU) 2022/431, incorporates protection against reprotoxic agents, agents that can have adverse effects on the sexual function and fertility of adults, as well as on the development of offspring (2). This update represents a significant step towards safer and healthier work environments but will require a joint effort from all occupational health professionals for its effective implementation.