Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1989, published 76th ILC session (1989)

Benzene Convention, 1971 (No. 136) - Guinea (Ratification: 1977)

1. The Committee notes that the new Labour Code (Ordinance No. 03/PRG/SGG/88 of 28 January 1988) contains general provisions respecting safety and health and provides for the adoption of implementing orders which, according to the Government, will give full effect to the provisions of the Convention.

2. In its previous direct requests, the Committee pointed out that Order No. 2265 of 9 April 1982, concerning protection against hazards of poisoning arising from benzene, needed to be supplemented on a number of points in order to give full effect to all the provisions of the Convention. These points were as follows:

Article 4, paragraph 2, of the Convention. The Order does not specify which work processes involving the same safety conditions as work carried out in an enclosed system must be used for the prohibition laid down in section 3 of the Order on the use of benzene and of products containing benzene as a solvent or diluent not to apply.

Article 5. The Order does not specify the occupational hygiene and technical measures which should be taken under section 4 of the Order.

Article 6, paragraph 1. The Order does not specify the measures which must be taken to prevent the escape of benzene vapour into the air of places of employment under the terms of section 5(1) of the Order.

Article 6, paragraph 2. The Order does not establish the maximum concentration of benzene permitted in the air in places of employment.

Article 6, paragraph 3. The Order does not establish the way in which the concentration of benzene in the air is to be determined.

Article 7, paragraph 2. The Order does not specify the effective means with which places of employment must be equipped, under the terms of section 6(2), to ensure the removal of benzene vapour.

Article 8, paragraphs 1 and 2. The Order does not specify the means of personal protection with which workers must be equipped, under the terms of section 7(1) and (2). Nor does it provide that the duration of exposure must be limited as far as possible in the case set out in Article 8, paragraph 2, of the Convention.

Article 13. The Order does not contain provisions concerning the instructions to be given to workers who have been exposed regarding measures to safeguard health and prevent accidents, and in the event of there being any evidence of poisoning.

3. The Committee hopes that, when preparing the texts to apply the Code, which are to give full effect to the Convention, the Government (possibly with the assistance of the appropriate technical departments in the ILO) will be able to amend Order No. 2265 or to supplement it with administrative circulars or technical directives in order to take into account the above comments. In so doing, the Government could base itself on the provisions of the Benzene Recommendation, 1971 (No. 144).