Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 1996, publiée 85ème session CIT (1997)

Convention (n° 13) sur la céruse (peinture), 1921 - Suède (Ratification: 1923)

1. Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention. In its previous comments the Committee noted that under sections 40 and 41 of the Lead Ordinance of 1984 (AFS 1984:12) a woman worker under the age of 50 who undergoes periodic supervision shall be informed of the risks, due to exposure to lead, to the foetus in the event of pregnancy and shall report a confirmed pregnancy to the employer as soon as possible; such a worker, as well as a breast-feeding worker, shall not be employed in work involving lead. It also noted the provision of special maximum exposure limit values for lead in the atmosphere for women of childbearing age under the 1990 Occupational Exposure Limit Values Ordinance (AFS 1990:13). The Committee noted that the commentary to sections 40 and 41 indicated that the risk for the foetus is greatest in the earliest stage of pregnancy, when the pregnancy may not yet have been confirmed. Lead absorbed by the body is stored in particular in the skeleton, and the blood lead content falls only slowly during the months following the interruption of the exposure. The commentary concluded that it may, therefore, be important to interrupt exposure a long time prior to pregnancy.

The Committee notes the Government's information in its latest report that the National Board of Occupational Safety and Health has adopted a new Lead Ordinance in 1992 (AFS 1992:17) which supersedes the 1984 Ordinance. The Committee notes the explanations provided by the Government (Newsletter No. 1/93) that the biggest change entailed by the new provisions is a reduction of the maximum allowable concentration of lead in the bloodstream: the reason for the exposure restrictions is that lead is a harmful metal. It affects the nervous system and kidneys, but is also liable to cause foetal injuries if women are exposed to it during pregnancy; this is why the Board has decided to reduce the point at which employees have to be debarred from further exposure to lead at work; the special risk to women and embryos justifies a lower limit value for women of fertile age. The Committee notes that according to the new values no recurrent checks are stipulated for blood-lead content of below 0.8 micromol/l; six-monthly checks (but three checks at three-monthly intervals for first-time lead) for 0.8-1.5 content; suspension if three consecutive tests show concentration exceeding 1.2 (return to lead work when the concentration is less than 1.2); suspension if content above 1.5 (return to work when the concentration is less than 1.2).

The Committee notes with interest the authorities' recognition of the harmfulness of lead, in particular to the foetus, and the new blood-lead limit values. The Committee notes, however, that pregnant or nursing women may be employed in work involving the use of white lead since once the level of lead in their bloodstream is below 0.8 micromol/1 no recurrent checks are stipulated. Thus an unexpected change in the lead exposure could occur without the knowledge of the employer or the pregnant or nursing worker who might continue to be employed in a work process involving exposure to lead.

The Committee would recall once more that Article 3, paragraph 1, prohibits the employment of all females in painting work of an industrial character involving the use of white lead, etc., in order to protect women adequately from the risks due to exposure to lead and, in particular, its effect on their reproductive capacity. Referring to the Government's previous indication that employment prohibitions or special conditions referring to the gender of the employee were only to be considered when work was liable to entail gender-specific hazards, the Committee once more points out that it is possible to ensure equality of opportunity while still ensuring the application of this Article of the Convention by prohibiting all painting work of an industrial character involving the use of white lead. Such use has already been prohibited by some countries in the interest of safety and health at work and in the environment, as technically superior and safer pigments now exist. Such action would provide greater protection than the biological lead monitoring to which the Government refers in its report.

The Committee would again request the Government to provide information in its next report on the number of women actually employed in painting work involving the use of white lead and to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to ensure that the employment of women in such work is prohibited, in conformity with this Article of the Convention.

2. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide with its next report statistics on morbidity and mortality due to lead poisoning, as requested in the report form under Article 7 of the Convention and in the Committee's previous direct request.