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White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921 (No. 13) - Benin (RATIFICATION: 1960)

Article 3(1) of the Convention. Employment of all females shall be prohibited. The Committee notes the response provided by the Government in its latest report indicating that amendments to Order No. 132/MFPTRA/MSP/DC/SGM/DT/SST are currently in progress; and that monitoring investigations undertaken in the construction industry have shown that women do not generally participate in this industry, but that they are involved in art painting and dyeing. The Committee further notes the information that the national list of the worst forms of child labour has been drawn up with the inclusion of the employment of children in painting, particularly in operations of scraping off and sanding old buildings, and that it is currently being adopted. The Committee asks the Government to keep it informed of amendments to the abovementioned Order with regard to the prohibition of all females in any painting work of an industrial character involving the use of white lead or sulphate of lead or other products containing these pigments; and to provide a copy of the national list of the worst forms of child labour once it has been adopted.

Article 7. Statistics as to morbidity and mortality. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government indicating that statistics on the morbidity and mortality among working painters are not available. The Committee requests the Government to provide relevant statistics concerning cases of morbidity and mortality due to lead poisoning, in accordance with Article 7 of the Convention; and to provide full information on the action taken for the compilation of such statistics.

Plan of action (2010–16). The Committee would like to take this opportunity to inform the Government that, in March 2010, the Governing Body adopted a plan of action to achieve widespread ratification and effective implementation of the key instruments in the area of occupational safety and health, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), its 2002 Protocol and the Promotional Framework for the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) (document GB307/10/2(Rev.)). The Committee would like to bring to the Government’s attention that under this plan of action, the Office is available to provide assistance to governments, as appropriate, to bring their national law and practice into conformity with these key OSH Conventions in order to promote their ratification and effective implementation. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on any needs it may have in this respect.