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Previous comments: Convention Nos 12, 17 and 19 and Convention No. 42
Repetition New schedule of occupational diseases. The Committee notes with interest the adoption of Order No. 160-14 of 21 January 2014 amending and supplementing Order No. 919-99 of 23 December 1999 on occupational diseases which, according to the Government’s report, has resulted in the legislative provisions respecting employment accidents being extended to occupational diseases, the legislation being brought into conformity with international labour standards through the classification of occupational diseases by family of causal agents and the broadening of the schedule of tables of recognized occupational diseases. The Committee observes, however, that in the new schedule, only the lists of the principal types of work likely to cause the listed diseases are indicative, while the designation of the diseases themselves appears to be of a limitative nature. The Committee would be grateful to be informed whether a disease that is not explicitly contained in the Moroccan schedule of occupational diseases could nevertheless be qualified as an occupational disease if it is caused by one of the substances listed in the Convention (such as mercury, lead, arsenic and phosphorus).
The Committee notes the report sent by the Government and the adoption, during the period covered by the report, of Order No. 919-99 of 23 December 1999, which amends and completes Order No. 100-68 of 20 May 1967 establishing the list of occupational diseases recognized in the country. While the number of diseases of recognized occupational origin exceeds the number of those established under the Convention, the Committee notes that the list of pathological symptoms caused by poisoning by lead, mercury, phosphorous, arsenic, benzene, or the alloys, amalgams, compounds or homologues of these substances, and poisoning by the halogen derivatives of hydrocarbons of the aliphatic series, appears to be, as opposed to the list previously in effect, of a restrictive nature. The Committee wishes to recall that in this respect the Convention does not contain a restrictive list of symptoms likely to be caused by these types of poisoning, but one that is, on the contrary, drawn up in very general terms, namely: “poisoning by lead, its alloys or compounds and their sequelae”; “poisoning by mercury, its amalgams and compounds and their sequelae”; “phosphorous poisoning by phosphorous or its compounds, and its sequelae”; “arsenic poisoning by arsenic or its compounds, and its sequelae”; “poisoning by benzene or its homologues, their nitro- and amido-derivatives, and its sequelae”; and “poisoning by the halogen derivatives of hydrocarbons of the aliphatic series”. In this way, the Convention covers all possible pathological symptoms, including those which are atypical or new and which may appear following poisoning or the action of one of the abovementioned agents. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide detailed information on this matter in its next report.