Benzene Convention, 1971 (No. 136) - Romania (Ratification: 1975)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on occupational safety and health (OSH), the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 13 (white lead), 127 (maximum weight), and 136 (benzene) together.

Legislation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that European Directive (EU) 2022/431 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 9, 2022, amending Directive 2004/37/EC on the protection of workers against the risks related to exposure to carcinogenic or mutagenic agents at work, sets the minimum exposure value for benzene at 0.2 ppm (0.66 mg/m3), with the following transition limit values of 1 ppm (3.25 mg/m3) until 5 April 2024; and of 0.5 ppm (1.65 mg/m3) from 5 April 2024, to 5 April 2026. In this regard, the Government indicates that the Directive is being transposed into national legislation, with a deadline of April 2024. The Committee further notes that Directive 2022/431/EU introduced a binding biological limit for lead as well as the exposure values that make health surveillance mandatory. It also notes that Directive (EU) 2024/869 lowered the binding biological limit for lead and introduced more restrictive health surveillance with regard to female workers of childbearing age. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on legislative developments related to the application of ratified OSH Conventions, including in respect of the measures to transpose these Directives into the national legislation.

Application of Conventions Nos 13, 127 and 136 in practice. The Committee notes the indication of the Government, in its report in reply to the Committee’s previous request under Convention No. 13, that as part of the European Campaign for Safe and Healthy Workplaces 2018-2019 on the management of hazardous substances, the Labour Inspectorate carried out information and control actions to verify the respect of minimum requirements for safety and health concerning the use of dangerous chemical substances in technological processes. The Government indicates that the controls carried out did not reveal any cases of non-conformity regarding the restrictions provided by the legislation for the use of pencils made of basic lead carbonate. In this respect, the Committee notes the information in the Annual Report on Labour Inspection Activities that controls regarding requirements to ensure the protection of workers against risks related to exposure to dangerous chemical agents at the workplace were included in the Framework Programme of actions of the Labour Inspection for the year 2023. As a result, 327 employers were controlled; 612 deficiencies were identified; and 545 contraventions were issued (530 warnings and 15 fines). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application in practice of the ratified OSH Conventions, including the number, nature and cause of occupational accidents and diseases reported, as well as information on inspection activities conducted, violations detected, and sanctions imposed related to white lead paint, benzene and the manual handling of loads.

Replies received to the issues raised in a direct request which do not give rise to further comments (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government, which answers the points raised in its previous direct request and has no further matters to raise in this regard.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

The Committee notes that the labour protection legislation adopted recently continues to give effect to the provisions of the Convention.

The Committee notes that according to the statistical information provided for 1997–2007 the number of cases of recorded occupational diseases caused by benzene varies from year to year with a peak in 2002 (16) and half that number in 2007 (eight). Over the period the number of workers exposed to benzene appears to be decreasing from 114,141 in 1997 to 9,755 in 2007. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide such statistical information, including information on the outcome of these cases and any further information on measures taken to ensure a full application of the Convention.