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

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Bahamas (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes the Government’s replies to its observation and direct request of 2000, supplementing the report provided in 2001 on the application of the Convention.

It notes with interest the adoption of the Health and Safety at Work Act, No. 2 of 2002, which gives effect to various provisions of the Convention, and particularly to Article 13, paragraphs 1 and 2, respecting the powers of injunction that inspectors should be able to exercise or to make recommendations during the inspection of working conditions relating to occupational safety and health.

The Committee also notes the increase in the staff of the inspection services and their allocation of vehicles, as well as the information that labour inspectors receive training after their recruitment and benefit from training from ILO experts. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the form and content of these two types of training and provide copies of any relevant documents.

Noting the announcement by the Government of the future provision of annual inspection reports, the form and content of which are specified in Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention, the Committee once again hopes that measures have been taken in practice with a view to the publication and regular communication to the ILO by the central labour inspection authority of such reports, which are indispensable both for evaluation by the Government of the effectiveness of the labour inspection system, and for the assessment by the Committee of the extent to which the Convention is applied.

The Committee is addressing a request directly to the Government on other points.