Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

Radiation Protection Convention, 1960 (No. 115) - Sri Lanka (Ratification: 1986)

With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes the information provided in the Government's latest report indicating that the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) is in the process of drafting new legislation to replace the current Atomic Energy Act No. 19 of 1969. The Committee notes that the Government has indicated the intention to include regulations, as required by Article 1 of the Convention, in the new law. The Committee also notes the Government’s response indicating that the AEA is planning to develop procedures for mitigating nuclear and radiological emergencies in two separate documents: a manual for first responders to radiological emergencies, drafted and attached to the Government’s report; and procedures for dealing with nuclear emergencies in neighbouring countries, to be drafted in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Committee hopes that in the course of drafting new legislation, due account will be taken to the need to take measures to give full effect to the Convention, including making provision for consultation with representative employers and workers by the competent authority when applying provisions of the Convention and requests the Government to transmit all relevant documents for the application of the Convention once they have been adopted.

Article 14. Alternative employment or other measures offered for maintaining income where continued assignment to work involving exposure is medically inadvisable. The Committee notes the Government’s response indicating that there is no provision under the current Atomic Energy Act to impose requirements on employers regarding alternative employment or maintenance of income during temporary disablement of workers in case of overexposure to radiation, but that a proposal to ensure the income and alternative employment opportunities for workers exposed to ionising radiation is under consideration. The Committee hopes that in the course of drafting the abovementioned legislation, due account will be taken to the need to ensure that suitable alternative employment opportunities, not involving exposure to ionising radiations, be provided for workers having accumulated an effective dose beyond which detriment to their health considered unacceptable is to arise, as well as for pregnant women, who may be faced with the dilemma that protecting their health means losing their employment.

Part V of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the number of workers registered with the authority for personal dosimetry service who are considered as radiation workers; the frequency of inspections; and duration of licenses issued. The Committee also notes the labour inspection report and conclusions attached to the Government’s report. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the number of workers exposed to radiation in the course of their work, the number and nature of the contraventions reported and the number, nature and cause of the accidents reported.