Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120) - Belarus (Ratification: 1968)

1. Article 3 of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government's indication in its report according to which consultations are held with the bodies of the Ministry of Labour in cases of doubts related to the application of the provisions of the Convention. The Committee would ask the Government to indicate in its next report whether consultations are held and, if so, to supply information on the manner in which they have been settled.

2. Article 5. The Committee notes that safety labour regulations are agreed upon with the Ministry of Labour with the participation of the state supervision and control bodies and the trade unions. It seems that the employers' organizations are not consulted in this respect. The Committee therefore would recall that both the workers' and employers' organizations concerned should be involved, by means of consultations, in the elaboration of laws and regulations designed to give effect to the provisions of the Convention. It would ask the Government to explain in which manner consultations also with the employers' organizations concerned are held.

3. Article 6, paragraph 2. The Committee notes the Government's indication according to which the bodies entrusted to carry out inspections are empowered to impose sanctions for violation of labour legislation. It would request the Government to indicate the penalties applicable in case of any infringement of the legislation in question.

4. Articles 7 to 16. As concerns the application of Articles 7 to 16 of the Convention, the Government refers to various branch sanitary standards and regulations, so-called Snip standards, and to other documents containing basic requirements in the field of hygiene and health of workers in commerce and offices. However, in absence of the authentic texts of these standards, it has not been possible for the Committee to examine the application of Articles 7 to 16 of the Convention. The Committee accordingly trusts that, with its next report, the Government will supply copies of the texts to which reference has been made.

5. Article 18. The Committee notes the Government's indication that the level of noise is governed by GOST 12.1.003-83 SSBT concerning safety requirements to noise, and that the vibration level is governed by GOST 12.1.012-90 SSBT concerning general safety requirements to vibration. It would request the Government to provide a copy of the above-mentioned GOST standards in order to make it possible for the Committee to determine the application of this Article of the Convention.

6. Article 19. The Committee takes note of the different standards to which the Government made reference to explain the application of this Article of the Convention. In order to examine the application of Article 19 of the Convention, the Government is requested to supply a copy of the relevant standards.

The Committee also notes the Government's indication according to which medical centres should be envisaged at commerce and catering enterprises, depending on the number of workers. The Committee accordingly would ask the Government to indicate upon what number of workers a medical centre is envisaged. Furthermore, it would request the Government to provide additional information whether at present such a project is under planification.

Finally, the Committee notes the Government's indication that first-aid kits should be provided in every organizational unit of an enterprise. It would request the Government to indicate the legal basis prescribing the duty to provide every organizational unit of an enterprise with a first-aid kit.