Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2001, published 90th ILC session (2002)

White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921 (No. 13) - Suriname (Ratification: 1976)

1. Articles 1, paragraph 1, and 6 of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, according to article 2 of the Safety Regulation No. 4 of 19 October 1949, the Inspector General of the Labour Inspection is  authorized to define the limits and to regulate the use of the substances as well as to grant exemptions from article 1 of the above Safety Regulation, providing for a general prohibition to use white lead, sulphate of lead or products containing these pigments in the internal painting of buildings and ships, if he deems the use of white lead, sulphate or products containing these pigments necessary. The Government further indicates that no consultations with employers’ and workers’ organizations have taken place. However, in case consultations are needed, they would be held within the Labour Advisory Board. The Committee recalls that according to Article 1, paragraph 1, of the Convention, the employers’ and workers’ organizations concerned have to be consulted where the use of white lead or sulphate of lead or products containing these pigments is considered necessary by the competent authority. It therefore requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to ensure that consultations with the employers’ and workers’ organizations are held, in application of Articles 1, paragraph 1, and 6, of the Convention. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate whether criteria have been developed or limitations have been established in the framework of article 2 of the Safety Regulation No. 4 concerning the grant of exemptions to the general prohibition to use white lead, sulphate of lead or products containing these pigments.

2. Article 7. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that at present no statistics on morbidity and mortality due to lead poisoning among working painters are available. The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or contemplated with regard to the compilation of statistical data on lead poisoning among working painters, in application of Article 7 of the Convention. It hopes that the Government will soon be in a position to provide the statistical data, which have been requested by the Committee for a number of years.