Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

1. Article 8 of the Convention. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous direct request. It notes the Government's indication that there are no specific plans to introduce new provisions concerning maximum permissible doses for workers who are not directly engaged in work involving ionising radiation since the level of exposure is, in practice, low. The Committee would, in this regard, refer the Government to paragraph 14 of its General Observation under this Convention concerning dose limits for non-radiation workers. Under the current ICRP recommendations, workers not engaged in radiation work are not to be exposed to levels of radiation higher than the dose limit for members of the public, set at 1 mSv per year, which may be averaged over a five-year period. The Committee would note that, while in practice the levels of exposure for workers not directly engaged in radiation work may generally be low, a particular concern is raised in Article 8 of the Convention for workers who, while not directly engaged in radiation work (and thus not necessarily benefiting from monitoring programmes, special medical examinations, etc.), may remain in, or pass through areas where they may be exposed to ionising radiations. The Committee hopes that the Government will take the necessary measures to ensure that workers not directly engaged in radiation work are protected as members of the public in so far as restricting their radiation exposure is concerned. The Government is requested to indicate the progress made in this regard in its next report.

2. The Committee notes with interest the indication in the Government's report that regulations concerning genetic damage and the working environment have been elaborated with a view to entitling both men and women to be transferred to other work if conditions in their working environment constitute a possible risk of genetic damage. The Government is requested to provide information on the progress made in adopting these regulations and to transmit a copy of the regulations once they are adopted.

3. The Committee would call the Government's attention to its General Observation under this Convention and requests the Government to indicate the steps taken or being considered in relation to the matters raised in its conclusions.