Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention, 1977 (No. 148) - Slovakia (Ratification: 1993)

The Committee notes from the Government's report that Act No. 272/1994 on health protection of people is the only national text which gives a partial effect to some provisions of the Convention; that a draft Act on safety and health at work and a draft Act on inspection of work are being prepared; that the Ministry of Health has prepared a proposal for a governmental provision on workers' health protection against harmful influence of chemical substances and a draft regulation on health protection against unfavourable effects of noise and vibration; that, finally, the Ministry of Health is preparing a novelization of the existing exposure limits for hazards due to noise, vibration and chemical substances.

The Committee hopes that the above-mentioned laws and regulations will be adopted soon and they will prescribe measures designed for the prevention, control of and protection against, occupational hazards in the working environment due to air pollution, noise and vibration (Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention); that provisions of new technical standards will give a basis for the practical implementation of the measures so prescribed (Article 4, paragraph 2); that relevant provisions of new texts will establish responsibilities and duties of employers and workers in the matter of occupational safety and health (Articles 6, 7 and 10); that by the envisaged technical or supplementary organizational measures the working environment would be kept free from hazards due to all three categories in question (Article 9); that the use of processes, substances, machinery and equipment which involve exposure of workers to occupational hazards due to air pollution, noise or vibration will be the subject of notification to the competent authority, of its authorization or prohibition (Article 12); that the supervision, at suitable intervals, of the health of workers exposed or liable to be exposed to occupational hazards (Article 11), and the information on potential occupational hazards and the instruction on measures for the protection against such hazards of all persons concerned (Article 13) will be carried out; that the most representative organizations of employers and workers will be consulted as regards action taken in order to give effect to the Convention, employers' and workers' representatives will be associated with the elaboration of provisions of technical standards, and collaboration between employers and workers in the application of measures on occupational safety and health will be achieved (Article 5, paragraphs 1, 2 and 3).

The Government is requested to communicate a copy of the above-mentioned laws and regulations once they have been adopted.