Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2001, publiée 90ème session CIT (2002)

Convention (n° 18) sur les maladies professionnelles, 1925 - Burkina Faso (Ratification: 1960)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its last report. It notes in particular the adoption of Decree No. 96-355/ PRES/PM/MS/METSS of 11 October 1996 issuing the schedule of occupational diseases. In this respect, it wishes to draw the Government’s attention to, and receive additional information on, the following points.

1. The Committee notes with interest that, in accordance with section 1 of the above Decree, diseases caused by lead and its compounds and by mercury and its compounds are considered to be occupational diseases (items Nos. 1 and 31 of this section, respectively). The Committee notes that item No. 13 of this section refers to anthrax fever. In this respect, it had already drawn the Government’s attention, when the latter provided a copy of the draft Decree issuing the schedule of occupational diseases, to the fact that this item did not give effect to the Convention in so far as anthrax fever is only a symptom of anthrax infection, to which the Convention refers. The Committee hopes that the Government will be able to re-examine the question and that it will not fail to take all the necessary measures to secure full compliance with the Convention on this point.

2. The Committee notes that under the terms of section 2 of the above Decree, the diseases caused by the poisoning referred to in section 1, and the indicative or limitative schedule of the principal types of work liable to cause these diseases or infections are enumerated in schedules annexed to the Decree. It notes in this respect that the Government does not refer in its report to the definitive adoption of the draft schedules of which it had previously provided copies. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate whether these schedules were adopted at the same time as the Decree and, if so, to provide a copy of them. The Committee nevertheless draws the Government’s attention to the fact that the above schedules were not in full conformity with the Convention. Indeed, schedules Nos. 1 and 31 provide a limitative enumeration of certain pathological manifestations as diseases due respectively to infection caused by lead or mercury, whereas the Convention refers in general terms to all poisoning by lead and mercury, their alloys, amalgams and compounds and their sequelae. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress achieved in this respect.