Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1996, published 85th ILC session (1997)

Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) - Brazil (Ratification: 1992)

The Government notes the detailed information supplied by the Government. It also notes the observations transmitted by the Union of Fishermen of Angra dos Reis, the Union of Federal Public Service Workers of the State of Goiás and the Union of Chemical Industry Workers of ABC.

1. The Committee refers to the observations made by the Union of Fisherman of Angra dos Reis reporting employment accidents that have resulted in the death of fishermen.

The Government states that it is necessary to formulate an action strategy to secure the implementation of national health and safety standards in the fishing sector, establish adequate inspection structures and organize collaboration between the competent authorities and bodies in this field. In a second communication, the Government refers to the measures taken (inspection visits, tripartite meetings) to control the general situation of various groups of fishermen. These activities pointed to the lack of a register of fishermen and the insufficiency of the controls of the regular nature of their employment relationships.

The Committee recalls that the Convention applies to workers in all branches of economic activity (Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention) and that the coherent national policy on occupational safety, occupational health and the working environment provided for in Article 4 must include a strategy for the various branches of economic activity, including fishing. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to indicate in the near future all the new measures that have been taken to prevent employment accidents in fishing and requests it to supply information on the progress achieved in this respect.

2. The Committee notes, from the information provided by the Union of Federal Public Service Workers of the State of Goiás (SINDSEP-GO), dated 1 March 1996, that workers in certain laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture of the State of Goiás are exposed to the risk of poisoning by harmful chemical substances. One person working in a laboratory died in 1994 as a result of poisoning; in June 1995, the workers called for the installation of protective equipment and their provision with personal protective equipment. According to the SINDSEP-GO, the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture in Goiás did not respond to this demand for eight months. As a result, other workers have been poisoned during the handling of agro-chemical substances.

In reply to the observations made by the SINDSEP-GO, the Government describes: (i) a modification of the physical structure of the laboratories in question, which will require time; (ii) an inspection visit to the above laboratories, which led to the detection of irregularities and shortcomings, as well as specification of the corrective measures to be taken; and (iii) a study undertaken to examine the problem thoroughly. In another communication, the Government informed the Committee of the conclusions reached during a meeting to examine the observations of the SINDSEP-GO, to the effect that each laboratory controlled is provided with collective protective equipment and personal protective equipment and that the conditions of work are acceptable in all of these laboratories.

The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the application of the Convention in the Ministry of Agriculture laboratories in the State of Goiás and in other enterprises where workers are exposed to the risk of poisoning by chemical and biological substances and agents.

3. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Union of Chemical Industry Workers of ABC on the occupational safety and health situation in the chemical unit of Cubatao de Rhodia SA, which illegally dumps organochlorate wastes. The Committee requests the Government to comment on these observations, which were transmitted to it by the Office in May 1996.