Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 2016, publiée 106ème session CIT (2017)

Convention (n° 170) sur les produits chimiques, 1990 - Italie (Ratification: 2002)

The Committee notes the observations made by the Italian Union of Labour (UIL), received on 15 September 2015. It notes that, according to the UIL, the Government and Parliament are undertaking work to amend section 6 of Legislative Decree No. 81 of 9 April 2008 on health and safety at work, which would lead to the loss of the tripartite and joint identity of the Standing Advisory Commission on Health and Safety at Work (the Standing Advisory Commission), thereby devaluing the role of the social partners, and workers in particular, with regard to the subject of occupational health and safety. The UIL also indicates that the rights of representatives acting as occupational safety representatives, specifically for chemicals, should be emphasized, with regard to the application of Article 18 of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments on the observations made by the UIL.

Articles 3 and 4 of the Convention. Bodies and procedures for tripartite consultation and periodic review of the national policy. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government with regard to the Standing Advisory Commission, which has a tripartite structure and meets regularly to discuss major health and safety issues with due regard for the guidelines established by the Commission responsible for directing and assessing active policies and for coordinating at the national level the supervision of occupational health and safety, under section 5 of Legislative Decree No. 81/2008. The Advisory Commission holds consultations, in the form of comparisons and discussions on specific topics, and has produced documents relating to the application of EU Regulation No. 1907/2006 (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals, “REACH”). A working group, which brings together all participants from the world of work, was set up in 2014 for the application of an information technology tool for risk assessment, made available by the European Occupational Health and Safety Agency. Another working group was created by the Ministry of Health to ensure collaboration between the parties responsible for the implementation of the European regulations on chemicals. Pursuant to section 232(1) of Legislative Decree No. 81/2008, the Advisory Commission for the development and updating of limit values for occupational exposure and biological limit values relating to chemicals was constituted on 27 May 2011, by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Ministry of Health, and is due to be reconstituted. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the respective roles of the Standing Advisory Commission and the Advisory Commission for the development and updating of limit values in the review process of the national policy.