Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120) - Finland (Ratification: 1968)

1. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s report and the attached legislation. It also notes the observations submitted by the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), which were attached to the Government’s report.

2. Articles 5 and 18 of the Convention. National legislation and protection against noise and vibrations. The Committee notes with interest the continued legislative measures undertaken and, notes, in particular, the adoption of Ordinance No. 85 of 26 January 2006 on the protection of workers from risks caused by noise. With respect to this Ordinance and Ordinance No. 48 of 27 January 2005 on the protection from risks caused by vibrations, the Committee refers to its comments under Convention No. 148.

3. Article 6. Labour inspections. The Committee notes with interest the adoption of Act No. 44 of 20 January 2006 on the supervision of occupational safety and health and collaboration in occupational safety and health matters, replacing Act No. 131 of 16 February 1973, providing rules on the supervision of occupational safety and health at the workplace through labour inspections. In this respect, it further refers to its comments under Convention No. 81. The Committee notes in this respect the concern expressed by the SAK for the hygiene in the retail industry, particularly its concern of the problems in this sector and that the labour inspections undertaken are considered to be inadequate. The Committee requests the Government to provide in its next report extracts from labour inspections carried out in the retail industry, statiscal information on the number of workers covered disaggregated by gender, if available, and the number and nature of contraventions reported.

4. Article 10. Temperature at the workplace. With respect to the concerns expressed previously by the SAK concerning the temperature at the workplace, the Committee notes with interest the Government’s statement that the section 9 of Ordinance No. 577 of 18 June 2003 on the safety and health requirements of workplaces, provides regulations for the volume and ventilation of the workplace, thus protecting workers from excessive heat so that the employer either has to increase ventilation or reduce the time of exposure. It notes the Government’s statement that in practical terms, if the temperature exceeds 28 degrees, the established reduction of the time of exposure in certain sectors is 50 minutes per hour, and if the temperature exceeds 31 degrees, the time of exposure is reduced to 45 minutes per hour. The Committee notes, however, that the report is silent as regards the concerns raised by the SAK regarding protection of workers against temperatures at the other extreme, i.e. excessive cold temperatures, and the more general question of measures taken to ensure that the practical application of national regulations on these issues in small enterprises. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on measures taken to protect workers from exposure to excessive cold temperatures and to ensure that relevant legislation is applied also in small enterprises.