Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

Maximum Weight Convention, 1967 (No. 127) - Guatemala (Ratification: 1983)

The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its latest report.

Articles 3, 7 and 8 of the Convention. In earlier comments, the Committee noted that section 202 of the Labour Code provides for the promulgation of regulations to specify the admissible weight of sacks to be transported or loaded by a single person, with due consideration being given to factors such as the age, sex and physical condition of the workers. It also noted that section 148(a) of the Labour Code provides for the promulgation of regulations to specify the unhealthy or dangerous jobs where the employment of women and young workers should be prohibited. The Committee expressed the hope that these regulations would be adopted in the near future so that the admissible weight of loads to be transported or loaded by a single person would be specified in order to give effect to Article 3 of the Convention and that the employment of women and young workers in the manual transport of loads would be limited in accordance with Article 7 of the Convention.

In its report for the period 1988-90, the Government indicated that the Occupational Health and Safety Section of the Guatemalan Social Security Institute had drafted an Agreement concerning the maximum load that may be carried by workers, which would be the subject of consultations with the most representative workers' and employers' organizations. In its latest report, the Government indicates that in practice, it is recommended that the weight be above 100 lb. only if and when the physical strength of the worker so permits, but that the draft Agreement is still being studied with a view to its approval.

In this connection, the Committee again draws attention to paragraph 14 of the Maximum Weight Recommendation, 1967 (No. 128) which provides that where the maximum permissible weight which may be transported by one adult male worker is more than 55 kg, measures should be taken as speedily as possible to reduce it to that level. It also refers to the publication "Maximum weights in load lifting and carrying" published by the International Labour Office as No. 59 in the series "Occupational safety and health", which contains information on differentiated weight limits for lifting and carrying loads occasionally or more frequently, for men, women and young workers.

The Committee hopes that the necessary measures will soon be taken through regulations under the Labour Code, the Agreement under consideration or any other method consistent with national conditions, to ensure that no worker may engage in the manual transport of a load which by its weight is likely to jeopardize his health and safety, and that the assignment of women and young workers to manual transport of loads shall be limited to loads of a substantially lesser maximum weight.

Article 5. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government that the Institute of Social Security, through the School for Training in Occupational Health, is training employers and workers and that it also issues posters with recommendations which are posted at worksites. It requests the Government to supply further details on training programmes being conducted for workers, prior to their assignment to work involving manual transport of loads and to forward specimen copies of relevant posters.