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Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120) - Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (RATIFICATION: 1971)

The Committee notes the Government’s report in reply to its previous comments. It would like to draw the Government’s attention to the following points.

Article 6 of the Convention in conjunction with Part IV of the report form. Practical application. The Committee notes the statistics on inspections carried out in the field of safety and health, as well as the detailed information on the activities of the Department for Inspections and Working Conditions at national and regional level. It notes in particular the Government’s indication to the effect that the programming of activities envisaged for the 2003 operational plan was seriously affected by employers’ stoppages which took place between December 2002 and February 2003.

In spite of this, the level of response to requests relating to the inspection of workers at national and regional level was maintained. With regard to the various activities of the labour inspectorate, the Government emphasizes that, further to the employers’ stoppages, priority was given to supervisory and investigatory action in relation to occupational accidents. The result of these inspections reflects frequent failure on the part of the employers to comply with standards in force relating to labour, social security, and industrial safety and health. The main deficiencies in compliance in the area of industrial safety and health are the lack of provision of health services and the failure to notify industrial accidents. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in this regard on sanctions applicable in cases of proven non-compliance, and on any other measures taken towards this end.

The Committee also notes the coordination of various labour inspection activities with the National Institute for Industrial Accident Prevention, Health and Safety (INPSASEL), including the carrying out of joint and complementary inspection visits in the area of occupational safety and health. In this respect, the Government reveals that an inspection visit relating to child labour carried out in an undertaking in the State of Lara represented a unique experience in the country. The Committee invites the Government to provide the results obtained in this field. Finally, the Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the manner in which effect is given in practice to the Convention in the country.