Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s brief report. The Committee understands that, with assistance from the ILO, the Government is making efforts, in consultation with the tripartite constituents, to bring Burkina Faso’s legislation and practice in conformity with its obligations under ratified ILO Conventions. Hoping that the Government soon will be able to report on positive results from these efforts, including in relation to the obligations in relation to the present Convention, the Committee recalls the comments made in its previous direct request which read as follows:

2. Article 2 of the Convention. Implementation and periodical review of a coherent national policy on occupational health services. The Committee notes with interest that, according to the Government, a national occupational safety and health policy is being prepared. It asks the Government to keep it informed of progress in this matter and to provide copies of the relevant texts as soon as they have been adopted.

3. Article 6. Measures to organize the occupational health service. After examining the Government’s first report, the Committee notes that the main provisions of the Convention are applied. However, a number of clarifications are needed on the following points: Article 3, establishment of health services; Article 5(a), identification and assessment of risks from health hazards in the workplace; Article 5(b), surveillance of the workplace; Article 5(c), role of health services in the planning and organization of work; Article 5(d), role of the health services in testing and evaluating new equipment; Article 5(e) and (i), role of the health services in ergonomics; Article 5(h), role of the health services in vocational rehabilitation; Article 5(j), emergencies and first aid; Article 9, paragraph 2, cooperation of the health services with other services in the enterprise; Article 10, independence of health service personnel; Article 11, qualifications of health service personnel; Article 15, notification to health services of absences from work for health reasons. The Committee hopes that the new national occupational safety and health policy will contribute to the application of these Articles of the Convention, and requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to ensure that the Convention is fully applied. It invites the Government to consider whether technical assistance may be useful in this context and, if so, to apply for such assistance to the Office.

4. Part V of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee requests the Government to provide statistics and inspection reports, information on the number of workers covered by the legislation, the number and nature of contraventions reported and any other information that would enable the Committee to better assess how the Convention is applied in the country in practice.