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The Committee notes the Government's indication in its report according to which the use of white lead in painting is governed by the general provisions of the Safety at Work Act and its implementing General Rules on Sanitary and Technical Safety Measures at Work, but is not fully covered by national regulations. However, the Committee notes with interest the establishment of an interministerial working group to prepare regulations concerning hazardous substances. The Committee trusts that the Government will take the necessary steps in the near future, in consultation with the employers' and workers' organizations concerned, as called for in Articles 1, paragraph 1, and 6 of the Convention, to ensure that effect is given to the following provisions of the Convention: Article 1 (prohibition of the use of white lead and sulphate of lead in the internal painting of buildings); Article 2 (regulation of the use of white lead in artistic painting); Article 3 (prohibition of the employment of males under 18 years of age and of all females in any painting work involving the use of white lead); Article 5 (regulation of the use of white lead in painting operations for which its use is not prohibited); and Article 7 (establishment of statistics of morbidity and mortality due to lead poisoning).

The Committee would request the Government to communicate information on progress made in this respect and to provide a copy of the relevant legislation as soon as it is adopted.