Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Guarding of Machinery Convention, 1963 (No. 119) - Sweden (Ratification: 1964)

The Committee notes the joint observations made by the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO), the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) and the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (SACO), received on 10 November 2014. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments thereon.

Legislation. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government regarding the revision by the Swedish Work Environment Authority of numerous ordinances which give effect to the Convention, and its issuance of information brochures on the safety of machinery. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on legislative measures undertaken with regard to the application of the Convention.

Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee welcomes the information provided by the Government on work accidents involving machinery, disaggregated by gender. The Committee notes that the majority of accidents involving women and men occurred within the sectors of wood products, and furniture manufacturing, of food, drinks, tobacco product manufacturing, and of mineral extraction, in addition to the metal manufacturing industry for men. The Committee also notes that the number of work-related injuries resulting in sick leave, reported as occurred when using machinery, increased between 2009 and 2011 and has remained steady between 2011 and 2013. Since 2010, it has been higher than 5,000. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application of the Convention in practice, including information on measures taken or envisaged to address the number of work-related injuries.