Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120) - Poland (Ratification: 1968)

Legislation. The Committee notes the information provided in the Government’s report, and the attached legislation, indicating recent legislative amendments, including the Labour Code and adoption of the Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 6 June 2014 on the highest permitted concentration and intensity of factors harmful for human health in the work environment which comes into force on 24 September 2014. This Regulation contains the values of highest permitted concentration for 524 chemical substances and 19 particular factors, as well as the maximum allowable intensity for nine physical factors, including noise and local and general vibrations, The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on legislative measures undertaken with regards to the application of the Convention and their application in practice.

Article 6 of the Convention. Inspection. Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee welcomes the information provided by the Government on the basis of the results of an audit on work hygiene in commercial institutions conducted by the national labour inspectorate in 2013. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the largest number of irregularities were observed in 33 per cent of the audited large-area commercial institutions, where non-compliance concerned the provision of equipment in hygiene and health rooms, whereas in smaller institutions, irregularities did not exceed 11 per cent of workplaces. In addition, in 32 per cent of the audited institutions, there were irregularities concerning equipping employees in working clothes and shoes. The Government also indicates that in 13 per cent of audited large-area institutions, employees were not provided with seating, and thus the possibility of rest near the workplace, and that irregularities concerning the ventilation, lighting and heating of working areas were occasionally observed during audits. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to improve the application of the Convention in practice, in particular with regard to the proper maintenance of hygiene facilities used by workers. It also requests the Government to continue to provide relevant excerpts of labour inspection reports and statistics on the number and nature of the contraventions reported.