Japan Ratifies Asbestos Convention

The Japanese government has announced that it ratified the International Labor Organization Convention 162 on Safety in the Use of Asbestos at a cabinet meeting on August 8, 2005. It submitted the ratification instrument to the International Labor Office, the permanent secretariat of the ILO in Geneva, Switzerland, on August 10, 2005. The convention is expected to take effect in Japan on August 11, 2006.

The convention specifies various measures to prevent health risks from asbestos, including the following: (1) promoting the replacement of asbestos by other materials and the total or partial prohibition of the use of asbestos; (2) prohibiting the use of more hazardous crocidolite and products containing this fiber and the spraying of all forms of asbestos; (3) taking adequate measures in the case of demolition of structures containing asbestos as well as removal of asbestos from buildings or structures, and (4) taking measures such as setting exposure limits, monitoring of the work environment, providing workers with all necessary protection, health checkups, information and education, in order to protect workers.

The convention was adopted at the seventy-second general conference of the ILO, held in June 1986. The signatories as of August 1, 2005 amounted to 27 countries, including Germany, Canada and Spain.

http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?C162

Posted: 2005/12/23 06:03:39 PM
Japanese version