Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139) - Czechia (Ratification: 1993)

The Committee notes the Government’s comprehensive report and that, in addition to the legislation referred to in the Government’s report on the application of the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187), the Government refers to the adoption of new legislation amending or repealing previous legislation on the same subject including Act No. 361/2007 Coll., which designates the conditions for the protection of the health at work; Act No. 371/2008 Coll., concerning the list of hazardous chemical substances and hazardous chemical preparations which are prohibited from being introduced into the market or whose introduction on the market or use is limited; Decree No. 205/2009 Coll., governing the identification of emissions from stationary sources. The Committee also notes the information that comments received from the Czech-Moravian Trade Union Confederation have been incorporated in the Government’s report.

Article 1 of the Convention. Prohibited substances or subject to authorization. With reference to its previous comments the Committee notes that the Government indicates that the only exceptions to the ban on working with chemical carcinogens now contained in section 8 of Act No. 309/2006 concerning further requirements on occupational safety and health are only applied in relation to asbestos during the removal and elimination of asbestos installations, and that the protection of the health of the workers who carry out this work is regulated in detail in Regulation No. 361/2007 Coll. which designates that conditions for the protection of the health of the workers, in particular in its sections 20–21. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the application of these provisions in practice, including information on the frequency of requests made for exceptions, their duration, etc., as well as the manner in which information is kept regarding the possible exposure to asbestos of workers engaged in such work.

Part IV of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee notes the information that, in the period from 2007 to 2009, a total of 44 cases of occupational cancer caused by chemical substances of ionizing radiation and 16 cases of mesotheliomas of the pleura or peritoneum were recorded. It also notes the information that a total of 17,533 workers were employed in workplaces involving an exposure to chemical substances with serious delayed effects (carcinogenic and mutagenic) and that 5,483 of these workers carried out work that was classified to be in a risk category. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information in this respect and reiterates its requests to provide information on the specific protective measures taken in application of Articles 2 and 5 of the Convention to avoid that workers contract a cancer caused by their exposure to carcinogenic substances.