In addition to this, Unit 4.I.4 cooperates closely on research and development projects with other units in the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, BAuA) and researchers at other institutions. With these cooperative activities and its own projects, Unit 4.I.4 lays the scientific and methodological foundations that enable it to fulfil its statutory duties. Apart from this, the unit performs functions in the fields of knowledge management and practice transfer, and provides advice about the assessment of exposure to substances and mixtures at workplaces. Its responsibilities also include the development and assessment of protective measures for industrial and commercial activities involving the handling of chemicals and biocidal products.

Unit 4.I.4 works on the estimation and assessment of exposure in the workplace under the REACH Regulation. This involves in particular:

• the evaluation of substances within the different processes of the REACH regulation and
• the identification and regulation of substances of very high concern subject to authorisation and restriction.

The main topics addressed in exposure science are the development and validation of methods for the estimation of exposure to substances and mixtures in the workplace. It therefore provides the basis for approaches to risk assessment that take account of the effectiveness of technical, organisational, and personal protective measures. Furthermore, it encourages the use of low-emission techniques and work processes to ensure activities involving the handling of substances and mixtures are designed safely. Cooperative activities with higher education institutions also contribute to the training of up-and-coming young scientists to work in exposure science.

The results of research are used to develop and provide support tools, in particular:

• modular exposure models for workplace risk assessment under the chemicals safety regulations
• a database on dermal exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace

The unit contributes to national and international bodies that are relevant for its statutory duties. Among other things, it participates in the further development of legislation, technical regulations, guidelines, and guidance documents within the following bodies:

• the German Committee on Hazardous Substances subcommittees and working groups concerned with the development of technical rules for hazardous substances
• the European Chemicals Agency working groups concerned with the development of REACH guidance documents
• advisory boards and societies for the scientific exchange in exposure science.

the OECD Working Party on Exposure Assessment.