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Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - France (RATIFICATION: 1972)

Other comments on C129

Observation

Direct Request

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With reference to its observation, the Committee wishes to raise the following additional points.

Article 11 of the Convention. Collaboration of experts in the work of labour inspection in agriculture. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that a campaign for the inspection of outlets selling plant protection products has been conducted in Guadeloupe and that, as part of the campaign, all inspections have been conducted on a joint basis, with the labour inspector and the prevention engineer dealing directly with the product sales manager. The Government declares that the findings of the campaign have tended to be negative: only three out of nine sales outlets inspected are fully aware of the risks posed by these products and inform their customers accordingly about precautions to follow regarding use; there is no awareness of the relevance of safety data records for the safe use of products; none of the inspected outlets systematically distributes safety data records to customers; and there is widespread ignorance of the risks posed by substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR). The Committee notes the Government’s statement that all these findings are particularly true of the banana sector. The Committee further notes that all enterprises have employees who hold certification for the distribution of plant protection products and it also notes the texts of decrees establishing individual certification procedures. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on any form of collaboration between labour inspection staff and duly qualified technical experts and specialists who might help to solve problems demanding technical knowledge, on the impact of this collaboration in the light of the objectives of the Convention, and on any obstacles encountered.

Article 19. Notification of occupational accidents and cases of occupational disease. The Committee notes with interest that, according to the Government, the overseas departments (DOM) have adopted at the local level the objectives of national plans, namely the “Occupational health plan No. 2”, the “National plan for health and the environment” and in particular the “Ecophyto 2008–18 national plan”. The latter plan includes a special component for the DOM containing measures designed to ensure safe plant protection practices in terms of health and the environment and, in particular, training and awareness raising with regard to good plant protection practices. It also notes that new measures were due to be taken into account in a new component adopted at the end of 2011, entitled “User health and protection”. The Committee further notes the Government’s indication that, in the absence of any reported case of leptospirosis, no specific inspection actions were conducted for the prevention of this disease in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Réunion or Martinique, but that the general social security funds, in conjunction with the enterprise and employment directorates (DIECCTE), engaged in awareness raising with regard to the need for risk evaluation. The Committee requests the Government to continue to send information on any progress made in this field and also on the notification of cases of occupational disease in agricultural undertakings.