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Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Solomon Islands (RATIFICATION: 1985)

With reference to its observation, the Committee would like to raise the following additional points.

Articles 3(1)(b), 13 and 14. Notification of industrial accidents and cases of occupational diseases and preventive activities of the labour inspectorate in the area of occupational safety and health. The Committee previously noted that according to section 31 of the Workmen’s Compensation (Accident and Occupational Disease Return) Regulations, the employer has a duty to inform the Commissioner of Labour of any accident or disease causing death or injury within seven days of the incident. It also noted that a seven-day notice period may prevent a timely investigation of serious incidents by labour inspectors and recalls that the ILO code of practice on recording and notification of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease, recommends that occupational accidents causing loss of life should be notified immediately. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on any steps taken or envisaged to ensure the timely notification and investigation of industrial accidents and cases of occupational diseases. It asks the Government to indicate whether this information is dealt with by the Labour Division with a view to developing a policy on prevention focusing on sectors with a high incidence of industrial accidents and cases of occupational diseases (logging industry, construction, agriculture, etc.). Please ensure that relevant statistics are included in the annual report on the work of the inspection services.

The Committee further requests the Government to supply information on any preventive measures taken by labour inspectors so as to minimize risks of industrial accidents and cases of occupational diseases, including statistics on injunctions which inspectors have imposed or have had imposed, in accordance with Article 13 of the Convention, during the period covered by the Government’s next report.

Articles 10, 11 and 16 of the Convention. Number of inspectors and inspections, and material means at the disposal of inspectors. The Committee notes the Government’s indications according to which there are currently 13 labour inspectors working at the Labour Division and that on average, 110 inspections are carried out annually. It understands from the explanations provided that labour inspectors have at their disposal, transport facilities for inspections that require them to travel by land and that, where travel by water is required, arrangements are made by the Labour Division so as to rent the required facilities or reimburse the expenses incurred by labour inspectors. The Committee asks the Government to provide detailed information on the office equipment available to labour inspectors (number of offices, computers, printers, measuring devices, etc.), as well as the number of transport facilities available.

Please also provide information on the number of cases where inspections required labour inspectors to travel by water, as well as on the total amount of travel expenses reimbursed to inspection officers in the performance of their duties during the period covered by the next report.

Articles 19, 20 and 21. Annual labour inspection reports. The Committee notes with regret that once again, an annual labour inspection report has not been received at the ILO and that an annual report containing full information on all the subjects listed in Article 21(a)–(g) of the Convention has never been received by the Office. With reference to its general observation of 2010, the Committee once again recalls that when well prepared, the annual reports offer an indispensable basis for the evaluation of the results in practice of the activities of the labour inspection services and, subsequently, the determination of the means necessary to improve their effectiveness. The Committee once again urges the Government to take all necessary measures for the elaboration and publication by the Central Labour Inspection Authority of an annual report containing all the information required under Article 21 of the Convention and to keep the Office informed of all progress made in this regard. The Committee recalls that the Government may request ILO technical assistance in this regard.

It requests the Government in any event to provide with its next report statistical information that is as detailed as possible (industrial and commercial places liable to inspection, number of inspections, violations detected and the legal provisions to which they relate, penalties imposed, statistics of industrial accidents and cases of occupational diseases, etc.).