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Guarding of Machinery Convention, 1963 (No. 119) - Japan (RATIFICATION: 1973)

The Committee notes the observations made by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC–RENGO) submitted with the Government’s report, and the Government’s reply thereto.

Article 15(2) of the Convention. Inspection services. The Committee notes the observations of the JTUC–RENGO alleging an insufficient number of labour inspectors in the country. It refers, in this regard, to its comments made under the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81).

Article 16. Consultations on laws and regulations with a view to giving effect to the Convention. The Committee notes the statement of the JTUC–RENGO that the implementation rate of risk assessments for the prevention of machinery accidents in workplaces of less than 50 workers is low, at around 30 per cent. The union requests that the Guidelines for comprehensive safety standards of machinery (the Guidelines), which provide for a good faith effort to implement risk assessments and to take measures based on their outcomes, be transformed into regulations. It also requests that the transferor or lessor of machinery be required to provide risk information on the machinery at the time of transfer, in order to promote the undertaking of a risk assessment.

The Committee notes that the Government refers to the 2012 amendment to the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (No. 32 of 1972), adopted after consultation with the social partners, which requires efforts to be made by a transferor or a lessor of machinery to provide information on remaining risks to machinery users. The Government indicates that it will continue to promote this Ordinance, the requirements of which are also prescribed in the Guidelines. In addition, the Government indicates that it has carried out training courses for small and medium-sized enterprises that use machinery on how to conduct risk assessments using the information provided by a transferor or a lessor of machinery. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on discussions held with the social partners on the measures taken to give effect to the Convention. Please also provide a copy of the 2012 amendment to the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health No. 32.