Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921 (No. 13) - Cambodia (Ratification: 1969)

Application of the Convention in law and in practice. The Committee notes that the Government indicates in its report that the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DoSH) of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training has developed 25 regulations concerning environmental safety and health at work and four regulations concerning construction safety, but that the Government does not provide information on any provision concerning the prohibition or the regulation of the use of white lead, in accordance with the Convention. The Committee also notes the information regarding the training workshop on chemical safety and management, conducted by the DoSH in collaboration with the ILO Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) programme, which was aimed at providing the 32 participating inspectors and BFC monitors with an overview of hazardous chemicals and their management in workplaces, including white lead. It further notes that the DoSH conducted a survey on occupational health problems among workers in the enterprises located in five provinces and the city of Phnom Penh, with the objective of identifying the hazardous chemicals used and the occupational health complaints of workers in each targeted enterprise. The Government further indicates that the DoSH is developing a new OSH Master Plan for 2015–18 which will include hazardous chemicals as a priority point, including white lead, and that technical assistance from the Office would be needed in this regard. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to give full effect to the Convention in law and to provide information on any progress made in this regard, and to continue to provide information on the measures taken to give effect to the Convention in practice. The Committee invites the Government to make a formal request for technical assistance, with regard to the development of the OSH Master Plan and requests it to provide information in this respect. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the outcome of the survey on occupational health problems conducted by the DoSH, particularly with regard to white lead.