INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS ON

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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OSH IN MINING
ISTANBUL 4-5 DECEMBER 2014
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS ON OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH
Catherine BRÅKENHIELM
ILO Expert
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
ILO, Geneva
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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS

• PROVIDE
• THEORETICAL
• LEGAL
• PRACTICAL
• ... AND UNIQUELY TRIPARTITE
• SOLUTIONS

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OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

• IS A COMPLEX SUBJECT MATTER
• IS MULTIDISCIPLINARY
• IS DYNAMIC AND EVOLVING
• SHOULD INVOLVE ALL ASPECTS OF SOCIETY
• CALLS FOR A WAY OF THINKING
• - A SAFETY AND HEALTH CULTURE

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THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH

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THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH

• Piecemeal approach
• Detailed and numerous standards, laws and
  regulations on specific hazards and occupations
• Focussed on protection

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THE MODERN APPROACH

• A
• holistic,
• dynamic,
• national and enterprise level policy process
• based on prevention

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CONVENTION NO. 155
Each Member shall, in the light of national
conditions and practice, and in consultation with
the most representative organisations of
employers and workers, formulate, implement and
periodically review a coherent national policy on
occupational safety, occupational health and the
working environment. Art. 4 (1)
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THE CENTRAL THEME

• THE NATIONAL POLICY APPROACH
•   to formulate
• implement and
• periodically review
• a coherent national policy
• in tripartite consultation.
  (C. 155, art 4)

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• PLAN DO
• ACT CHECK

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WHY AN OSH POLICY APPROACH?

• Hazards are inherent in the working environments
• Hazards are subject to constant change due to
  industrial, scientific and socio-economic
  developments
• Addressing a dynamic problem calls for a dynamic
  response
• The national policy process is the dynamic
  response to handling hazards in the working
  environment

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KEY OSH LABOUR STANDARDS

• GENERALLY APPLICABLE
• C. 155 POLICY APPROACH
• C. 161 PREVENTION BY MONTORING WORKERS HEALTH
• P 2002 MONITOR DEVELOPMENT
• C. 187 REAFFIRMS REQUIRED NATIONAL LEVEL ACTION
• C. 81 ENFORCEMENT THROUGH LABOUR INSPECTION
• SECTOR, BRANCH OR SUBSTANCE SPECIFIC
• C. 167 CONSTRUCTION
• C. 176 MINING

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PREVENTION IS KEY
The aim of the policy shall be to prevent
accidents and injury to health arising out of,
linked with or occurring in the course of work,
by minimizing, as far as is reasonably
practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in
the working environment C. 155 Art. 4(2)
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NATIONAL PREVENTATIVE SAFETY AND HEALTH CULTURE

• Is a culture in which the right to a safe and
  healthy working environment is respected at all
  levels, where government, employers and workers
  actively participate in securing a safe and
  healthy working environment through a system of
  defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and
  where the principle of prevention is accorded the
  highest priority.
• C. 187, Art. 1 d)

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PREVENTION

• CALLS FOR
• Regular and frequent risk assessments
• Vertical and horizontal flow of information
• National and enterprise level cooperation

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RISK ASSESSMENT C. 176

• In taking preventive and protective measures the
  employer shall assess the risk and deal with it
  in the following order of priority
• (a) eliminate the risk
• (b) control the risk at source
• (c) minimize the risk by means that include the
  design of safe work systems and
• (d) in so far as the risk remains, provide for
  the use of personal protective equipment,
• having regard to what is reasonable, practicable
  and feasible, and to good practice and the
  exercise of due diligence

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WHAT TO FIND IN ILO STANDARDS
VISIT www.ilo.org/labour standards
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION brakenhielm_at_msn.com