Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1999, published 88th ILC session (2000)

Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139) - Ecuador (Ratification: 1975)

1. Article 1, paragraphs 1 and 3, and Article 6 of the Convention. The Committee notes the information concerning the composition of the Inter-institutional Occupational Safety and Health Committee and the dissemination of the standards adopted by the above Committee. However, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the extent to which the standards concerning the maximum admissible exposure levels to carcinogenic substances are binding and the measures taken for their application in practice so that the prohibitions and restrictions are in conformity with the Convention and give full effect to it.

2. Article 2, paragraph 2. The Committee notes the Government's indication that the development of the list of enterprises is still pending. The Committee hopes that the Government's next report will indicate the progress achieved in this respect. It requests the Government to transmit a copy of the above list as soon as it has been adopted. Furthermore, while noting the Government's information on the number of workers exposed to carcinogenic substances, the Committee requests the Government to provide, in so far as possible, statistics on the number of workers protected, as requested in Part IV of the report form.

3. Article 5. The Committee notes the Government's indication that the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) carries out regular medical examinations in enterprises which use carcinogenic substances. It notes with interest that the Inter-institutional Occupational Safety and Health Committee is examining the possibility of adopting procedures to monitor the state of health of workers after their employment. The Committee hopes that these procedures will be established in the near future so that the workers benefit from medical examinations or biological or other tests or investigations to supervise their state of health in relation to hazards linked to exposure to carcinogenic substances or agents during the period of their employment. Furthermore, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the nature of the examinations carried out and the tests prescribed for workers exposed to carcinogenic substances and their frequency during the period of their employment.