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

1. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s report and the attached legislation.

2. Articles 4 and 6, paragraph 2, of the Convention. National legislation and establishment of limits for occupational exposure. The Committee notes the adoption of Presidential Decree No. 127/2000 and No. 43/2003, both amending Presidential Decree No. 399/1994. It notes that Presidential Decree No. 43/2003 now establishes a concentration limit of benzene in the air of the working environment of 1.00 ppm (parts per million), which is below the concentration level established by the Convention. The Committee would, however, like to draw the Government’s attention to the fact that this limit has been established based on the scientific knowledge available in 1971, at the time when the Convention was adopted. In the meantime, following scientific progress, the concentration limit for occupational exposure recommended by the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is now at 0.5 ppm. The Committee therefore invites the Government to consider the possibility to align the limit value currently in force for occupational exposure to benzene to the limit value recommended by the ACGIH. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on measures taken or envisaged to revise the national occupational exposure limit of benzene in the places of employment.

3. Article 4. Prohibition of the use of benzene. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that Greece applies the prohibition of using benzene within the framework of the European Union. Recalling that section 4 of European Directive No. 90/394/EEC does not explicitly envisage the prohibition of the use of benzene and of products containing benzene in certain work processes and that Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention provides that the use of benzene and of products containing benzene shall be prohibited by national laws or regulations in certain work processes, the Committee reiterates its previous request to the Government to provide information in its next report on measures taken or envisaged to ensure that national laws or regulations prohibit the use of benzene and of products containing benzene, in accordance with the Convention.

4. Part IV of the report form. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the previously mentioned research that was carried out with respect to the increased use of unleaded petrol was carried out with sporadic measurements and did not enable for any statistical information to be collected. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on the practical application of the Convention, including extracts from labour inspection reports, the number of establishments in the country where workers are exposed to benzene or products containing benzene, the number of such workers, disaggregated by gender if possible.