Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2001, published 90th ILC session (2002)

White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921 (No. 13) - Russian Federation (Ratification: 1991)

The Committee notes the information provided in the Government’s report.

The Committee notes the adoption of Government Decree No. 967 of 15 December 2000 to approve the regulations on investigation and registration of occupational diseases (Text No. 5149) (Sobranie Zakonodatel’stva. 2000-12-25, No. 52, pp. 10069-10076).

The Committee notes that section 7 of the Decision of the People’s Commissariat for Labour of 16 August 1929 "on manufacture, sale and use of white lead", prohibits the use of white lead in the internal painting of buildings. The Committee recalls that under Article 1, paragraph 1, of the Convention, in the internal painting of buildings, not only the use of white lead, but also the use of sulphate of lead and that of all products containing this and white lead pigments (with the exceptions that the Convention establishes), are prohibited. The Committee notes that in the legal instruments provided by the Government in its last reports there does not exist any provision concerning these two last mentioned prohibitions. Therefore, the Committee requests that the Government indicate in its next report the provisions that give effect to the aforementioned prohibitions. The Committee also recalls that under the same provision of the Convention, the Government is obligated to consult with the employers’ and workers’ organizations concerned, when establishing the cases in which the use of white lead and sulphate of lead and of all products containing these pigments will be considered necessary for the painting of railway stations or industrial establishments. The Committee notes that in the legal instruments provided by the Government in its last reports, no provision exists either, concerning this point. The Committee therefore requests that the Government indicate the provisions that give effect to the aforementioned obligation.

The Committee notes that in section 7(3) of the "Health regulations for painting work in which the use of manual sprayers is required", No. 991-72, of 22 September 1972, there exists a prohibition of employment of pregnant women and breast-feeding women in painting works in which the use of manual sprayers is required. The Committee recalls that under Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention there exists, among others, the prohibition of employing all females in any painting work of an industrial character involving the use of white lead or sulphate of lead or other products containing these pigments. The Committee requests that the Government indicate, in its next report, the provisions that give effect to the aforementioned prohibition.

The Committee recalls that under Article 7 of the Convention, statistics with regard to lead poisoning among working painters, particularly on: (a) the morbidity - by notification and certification of all cases of lead poisoning; and (b) the mortality - by a method approved by the official statistical authority in the country, shall be obtained. The Committee recalls that in one of the last Government’s reports it was established that no statistical reporting of cases of lead poisoning among painters was carried out and that none of the subsequent reports has provided either information on this point or statistics with regard to it. The Committee requests that the Government informs the Office if any measure has been taken to carry out the aforementioned statistics and to provide a copy of them, the latter in conformity with the report form.