Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139) - Germany (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes the report of the Government. It draws the Government’s attention to the following point.

Part IV of the report form. The Committee notes the extracts of inspection reports carried out in the eastern federal States ("neue Bundesländer") by the industrial inspectorates responsible for occupational safety and health in 1999. The Committee notes that the supervision concerned mostly demolition and reconstruction work of buildings or structures containing friable asbestos insulation materials, and removal of asbestos from buildings or structures in which asbestos is liable to become airborne. It further notes from the inspection reports that, although the overall number of infractions stated is decreasing, a considerable number of contraventions were reported for small enterprises. Moreover, it is feared that increasing competition among the enterprises carrying out such reconstruction and demolition work connected with the growing pressure to minimize costs as well as tight deadlines would lead to an unsatisfying application of protective regulations, in particular the rules set forth in the technical standard TRGS 519 providing for safety engineering equipment, information and training of workers concerned as well as the application of safety and health measures including the wearing of protective clothing. The Committee, taking due note of this information would request the Government to indicate the measures taken or contemplated to ensure that the legislation continues to be applied in future in spite of the increasing pressure of competition enterprises are facing, and to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to guarantee the application of the legislation as well in small enterprises.