Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention, 1946 (No. 77) - Bulgaria (Ratification: 1949)

Article 7(2) of the Convention. The Committee previously requested the Government to provide information on the methods of supervision designed to ensure the application of the system of medical examination for fitness for employment to children and young persons.

The Committee notes the information in the Government’s report that, pursuant to section I of Chapter XV of the Labour Code, persons under 18 years may only be employed with the prior permission of the labour inspectorate. In this regard, the Committee notes with interest that, pursuant to Ordinance No. 6 of 24 July 2006 (on the terms and conditions for the issue of work permits to persons under 18), such a permit shall only be issued by the labour inspectorate if the person has passed a preliminary medical examination indicating fitness for the work to be performed. When an employer requests permission to employ a person under 18, this request to the labour inspectorate must be accompanied by a medical certificate indicating that the person under 18 is fit to perform the work in question. The Committee further notes the Government’s indication that for the period of 2004–10, the labour inspectorate did not identify any requests for the employment of a person under 18 years where the person had not successfully undergone the preliminary medical examination required. Pursuant to this regulation, persons aged 15 and 16 must undergo a compulsory medical examination every six months, and persons 17 and 18 years of age must undergo this examination once a year. The documents reflecting the successful completion of the preliminary and periodical medical examinations shall be classified in the medical file of the person concerned by both the occupational health offices and by the employer. Pursuant to the Law on Health and Safety at Work, the regional health inspectorates shall monitor the implementation of these provisions by the occupational health offices, while the labour inspectorate shall monitor such compliance by employers.