Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

Article 2 of the Convention. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government's statement to the effect that the text respecting the new schedules of occupational diseases prepared by the inter-ministerial technical committee taking into account the matters raised by the Committee of Experts, is currently undergoing the process of promulgation, and that it will be transmitted to the Office when it has been published. The Committee therefore once again hopes that the implementing texts of Act No. 83-13 of 5 July 1983 will be adopted in the near future and that the new schedule of occupational diseases will take into account the matters raised previously respecting the schedules annexed to the Order of 22 March 1968, as amended, namely:

(a) the list of the various pathological manifestations appearing under each "disease" in the left-handed column of the schedules in the national legislation should be of an indicative nature, as is the list of corresponding activities in the right-hand column of these schedules;

(b) the wording of the items concerning poisoning by arsenic (schedules Nos. 20 and 21), manifestations due to the halogen derivatives of hydrocarbons of the aliphatic series (schedules Nos. 3, 11, 12, 26 and 27), poisoning by phosphorus and certain of its compounds (schedules Nos. 5 and 34) should be replaced by wording covering in general terms - like that of the Convention - all manifestations that may be caused by the above substances (wording of this kind would make it possible also to cover diseases that might be caused by the utilization of new products, as the Government pointed out earlier); and

(c) the activities that may cause anthrax infection (schedule No. 18) should include the loading and unloading or transport of merchandise in general, so as to cover workers (such as dockers) who may unknowingly have transported merchandise contaminated by the anthrax spore.