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Previous comments: C.62, C.115, C.119, C.120, C.127, C.161, C.170 and C.176
The Committee notes the Government’s report and the legal texts adopted which continue to give effect to the Convention, including, in particular, the Ordinance of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 18 March 2009 in order to give further compliance to the provisions of the European Directive 90/269/EEC.
Part V of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government concerning measures undertaken to strengthen the application of the Convention in practice, in particular the coordination of the “Lighten the load” campaign in response to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work’s campaign to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. The Committee welcomes the results of the National Labour Inspectorate’s inspections, after an intensive promotion and inspection campaign in the trade sector, indicating that in recent years there has been an improvement in the observance of provisions on work health and safety related to the manual handling of loads by women, and an improvement in compliance of on-the-job training in legal standards, particularly in large space retail establishments. The Committee notes that a significant problem of handling excessive loads still remains in health care institutions when taking care of patients, due to a lack of appropriate knowledge and awareness by workers performing these tasks as well as supervisors and work health and safety services. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on measures taken to strengthen the application of the Convention in practice, in particular with regard to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders from handling excessive loads in health care institutions.
1. The Committee takes note of the Government’s report and the legal texts adopted which continue to give effect to the provisions of the Convention. It notes in particular the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ordinance of 14 March 2000 on safety and health at work involving manual transporting (DZ.U. No. 26, Text 313 and No. 82, Text 930) transposing into domestic law the requirements set out in the European Directive 90/269/EEC. With regard to the permissible maximum weight of loads that may be transported manually by a single worker, the Committee notes with interest that the limits established for the different categories of workers go beyond the recommendations contained in the ILO publication Maximum weights in load lifting and carrying (Occupational Safety and Health Series, No. 59, Geneva, 1988).
2. Part V of the report form. Practical application. The Committee notes the comprehensive information transmitted with the Government’s report on labour inspections carried out and on significant problems detected by the labour inspectors in relation to the application of legislation designed to give effect to this Convention. In this respect, the Government indicates that, although there do not exist detailed statistical data, most cases of violation of law have been recorded with regard to women workers employed in industry and trade and regarding the employer’s non-compliance with the training requirement of workers engaged to carry out work involving the manual transport of loads. Another important problem concerns the manual transport in the framework of "casual work". The Committee, taking due note of the various legal measures taken as well as of the penalties imposed by the inspectors for violations of legal provisions, requests the Government to provide with its next report, information on additional measures taken or envisaged to deal with the specific problems occurred in order to strengthen the application of the Convention in practice. It also invites the Government to continue to supply information on the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice in the country.