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Benzene Convention, 1971 (No. 136) - Uruguay (RATIFICATION: 1977)

Article 4(2) of the Convention. Obligation to prohibit the use of benzene and of products containing benzene as a solvent or diluents, except where the process is carried out in an enclosed system or where there are other equally safe methods of work. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to ensure that its legislation gives effect to this Article and to provide information on: (1) the prohibition of the use of benzene as a diluent; and (2) the prohibition of the use of products containing benzene as: (i) solvents or (ii) diluents. The Committee notes the Government’s indication of its commitment to raise, in the National Tripartite Commission for the Chemical Industry, the possibility of establishing a standard to specifically prohibit the use of benzene as a solvent or diluent. The Committee hopes that the necessary provisions will be adopted to bring the legislation into conformity with this Article of the Convention, and requests the Government to provide information on any progress in this respect.

Application of the Convention in practice. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that in May 2014, the National Tripartite Commission for the Chemical Industry organized a second training course for Workers’ delegates to bipartite bodies and another for Employers’ delegates. The courses were supplementary to those held in 2013, covering almost 30 per cent of the enterprises in the sector, which represent over 50 per cent of the enterprises affiliated with the relevant chamber of commerce and for the Union of Chemical Industry Workers. A follow-up of these activities has been planned. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the manner in which these activities give effect to the Convention.

Moreover, noting that the Government’s report contains no information on a question raised in its previous comments, the Commission is bound to repeat the question, which read as follows:

Article 7(1). Use of enclosed systems for work processes involving the use of benzene or of products containing benzene. Article 8(2). Compulsory use of personal protective equipment against the risk of inhaling benzene vapour. The Committee notes that, in response to the questions concerning these two Articles, the Government reiterates that benzene does not exist and is not used in Uruguay. On the one hand, the Committee notes that Decree No. 307/009 contains prevention and protection measures which could give effect to these Articles of the Convention and, on the other, refers to its comments in the previous paragraph. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide detailed information on the application of these two Articles, also taking into account its comments made in 2006, and on the manner in which Decree No. 307/009 is applied in this respect.