CONVENTION No. 152 Convention concerning Occupational Safety andHealth (Dock Work)
CONVENTION No. 152 Convention concerning Occupational Safety andHealth (Dock Work)
[Date of coming into force: 5 December 1981.]
Whole document
The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,
Having been convened at Geneva by the Governing Body of the
International Labour Office, and having met in its Sixty-fifth Session on
6 June 1979, and
Noting the terms of existing international labour Conventions and
Recommendations which are relevant and, in particular, the Marking of
Weight (Packages Transported by Vessels) Convention, 1929, the Guarding
of Machinery Convention, 1963, and the Working Environment (Air Pollution,
Noise and Vibration) Convention, 1977, and
Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to
the revision of the Protection against Accidents (Dockers) Convention
(Revised), 1932 (No. 32), which is the fourth item on the agenda of the
session, and
Considering that these proposals must take the form of an
international Convention, adopts this twenty-fifth day of June of the
year one thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine the following Convention,
which may be cited as the Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work)
Convention, 1979:
PART I. SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS
Article 1
For the purpose of this Convention, the term "dock work" covers all
and any part of the work of loading or unloading any ship as well as any
work incidental thereto; the definition of such work shall be established
by national law or practice. The organizations of employers and workers
concerned shall be consulted on or otherwise participate in the
establishment and revision of this definition.
Article 2
1. A Member may grant exemptions from or permit exceptions to the
provisions of this Convention in respect of dock work at any place where
the traffic is irregular and confined to small ships, as well as in
respect of dock work in relation to fishing vessels or specified
categories thereof, on condition that
(a) safe working conditions are maintained; and
(b) the competent authority, after consultation with the
organizations of employers and workers concerned, is satisfied that it is
reasonable in all the circumstances that there be such exemptions or
exceptions.
2. Particular requirements of Part III of this Convention may be
varied if the competent authority is satisfied, after consultation with
the organizations of employers and workers concerned, that the variations
provide corresponding advantages and that the over-all protection afforded
is not inferior to that which would result from the full application of
the provisions of this Convention.
3. Any exemptions or exceptions made under paragraph 1 of this Article
and any significant variations made under paragraph 2 of this Article, as
well as the reasons therefor, shall be indicated in the reports on the
application of the Convention submitted in pursuance of article 22 of the
Constitution of the International Labour Organization.
Article 3
For the purpose of this Convention
(a) the term "worker" means any person engaged in dock work;
(b) the term "competent person" means a person possessing the
knowledge and experience required for the performance of a specific duty
or duties and acceptable as such to the competent authority;
(c) the term "responsible person" means a person appointed by the
employer, the master of the ship or the owner of the gear, as the case may
be, to be responsible for the performance of a specific duty or duties and
who has sufficient knowledge and experience and the requisite authority
for the proper performance of the duty or duties;
(d) the term "authorised person" means a person authorised by the
employer, the master of the ship or a responsible person to undertake a
specific task or tasks and possessing the necessary technical knowledge
and experience;
(e) the term "lifting appliance" covers all stationary or mobile
cargo-handling appliances, including shore-based power-operated ramps,
used on shore or on board ship for suspending, raising or lowering loads
or moving them from one position to another while suspended or supported;
(f) the term "loose gear" covers any gear by means of which a load
can be attached to a lifting appliance but which does not form an integral
part of the appliance or load;
(g) the term "access" includes egress;
(h) the term "ship" covers any kind of ship, vessel, barge,
lighter or hovercraft, excluding ships of war.
PART II. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 4
1. National laws or regulations shall prescribe that measures
complying with Part III of this Convention be taken as regards dock work
with a view to
(a) providing and maintaining workplaces, equipment and methods of
work that are safe and without risk of injury to health;
(b) providing and maintaining safe means of access to any
workplace;
(c) providing the information, training and supervision necessary
to ensure the protection of workers against risks of accident or injury to
health arising out of or in the course of their employment;
(d) providing workers with any personal protective equipment and
protective clothing and any life-saving appliances reasonably required
where adequate protection against risks of accident or injury to health
cannot be provided by other means;
(e) providing and maintaining suitable and adequate first-aid and
rescue facilities;
(f) developing and establishing proper procedures to deal with any
emergency situations which may arise.
2. The measures to be taken in pursuance of this Convention shall
cover
(a) general requirements relating to the construction, equipping
and maintenance of dock structures and other places at which dock work is
carried out;
(b) fire and explosion prevention and protection;
(c) safe means of access to ships, holds, staging, equipment and
lifting appliances;
(d) transport of workers;
(e) opening and closing of hatches, protection of hatchways and
work in holds;
(f) construction, maintenance and use of lifting and other
cargo-handling appliances;
(g) construction, maintenance and use of staging;
(h) rigging and use of ship's derricks;
(i) testing, examination, inspection and certification, as
appropriate, of lifting appliances, of loose gear, including chains and
ropes, and of slings and other lifting devices which form an integral part
of the load;
(j) handling of different types of cargo;
(k) stacking and storage of goods;
(l) dangerous substances and other hazards in the working
environment;
(m) personal protective equipment and protective clothing;
(n) sanitary and washing facilities and welfare amenities;
(o) medical supervision;
(p) first-aid and rescue facilities;
(q) safety and health organization;
(r) training of workers;
(s) notification and investigation of occupational accidents and
diseases.
3. The practical implementation of the requirements prescribed in
pursuance of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be ensured or assisted by
technical standards or codes of practice approved by the competent
authority, or by other appropriate methods consistent with national
practice and conditions.
Article 5
1. National laws or regulations shall make appropriate persons,
whether employers, owners, masters or other persons, as the case may be,
responsible for compliance with the measures referred to in Article 4,
paragraph 1, of this Convention.
2. Whenever two or more employers undertake activities simultaneously
at one workplace, they shall have the duty to collaborate in order to
comply with the prescribed measures, without prejudice to the
responsibility of each employer for the health and safety of his
employees. In appropriate circumstances, the competent authority shall
prescribe general procedures for this collaboration.
Article 6
1. There shall be arrangements under which workers
(a) are required neither to interfere without due cause with the
operation of, nor to misuse, any safety device or appliance provided for
their own protection or the protection of others;
(b) take reasonable care for their own safety and that of other
persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work;
(c) report forthwith to their immediate supervisor any situation
which they have reason to believe could present a risk and which they
cannot correct themselves, so that corrective measures can be taken.
2. Workers shall have a right at any workplace to participate in
ensuring safe working to the extent of their control over the equipment
and methods of work and to express views on the working procedures adopted
as they affect safety. In so far as appropriate under national law and
practice, where safety and health committees have been formed in
accordance with Article 37 of this Convention, this right shall be
exercised through these committees.
Article 7
1. In giving effect to the provisions of this Convention by national
laws or regulations or other appropriate methods consistent with national
practice and conditions, the competent authority shall act in consultation
with the organizations of employers and workers concerned.
2. Provision shall be made for close collaboration between employers
and workers or their representatives in the application of the measures
referred to in Article 4, paragraph 1, of this Convention.
PART III. TECHNICAL MEASURES
Article 8
Any time that a workplace has become unsafe or there is a risk of
injury to health, effective measures shall be taken (by fencing, flagging
or other suitable means including, where necessary, cessation of work) to
protect the workers until the place has been made safe again.
Article 9
1. All places where dock work is being carried out and any approaches
thereto shall be suitably and adequately lighted.
2. Any obstacle liable to be dangerous to the movement of a lifting
appliance, vehicle or person shall, if it cannot be removed for practical
reasons, be suitably and conspicuously marked and, where necessary,
adequately lighted.
Article 10
1. All surfaces used for vehicle traffic or for the stacking of goods
or materials shall be suitable for the purpose and properly maintained.
2. Where goods or materials are stacked, stowed, unstacked or
unstowed, the work shall be done in a safe and orderly manner having
regard to the nature of the goods or materials and their packing.
Article 11
1. Passageways of adequate width shall be left to permit the safe use
of vehicles and cargo-handling appliances.
2. Separate passageways for pedestrian use shall be provided where
necessary and practicable; such passageways shall be of adequate width
and, as far as is practicable, separated from passageways used by
vehicles.
Article 12
Suitable and adequate means for fighting fire shall be provided and
kept available for use where dock work is carried out.
Article 13
1. All dangerous parts of machinery shall be effectively guarded,
unless they are in such a position or of such a construction as to be as
safe as they would be if effectively guarded.
2. Effective measures shall be provided for promptly cutting off the
power to any machinery in respect of which this is necessary, in an
emergency.
3. When any cleaning, maintenance or repair work that would expose any
person to danger has to be undertaken on machinery, the machinery shall be
stopped before this work is begun and adequate measures shall be taken to
ensure that the machinery cannot be restarted until the work has been
completed: Provided that a responsible person may restart the machinery
for the purpose of any testing or adjustment which cannot be carried out
while the machinery is at rest.
4. Only an authorised person shall be permitted to
(a) remove any guard where this is necessary for the purpose of the
work being carried out;
(b) remove a safety device or make it inoperative for the purpose
of cleaning, adjustment or repair.
5. If any guard is removed, adequate precautions shall be taken, and
the guard shall be replaced as soon as practicable.
6. If any safety device is removed or made inoperative, the device
shall be replaced or its operation restored as soon as practicable and
measures shall be taken to ensure that the relevant equipment cannot be
used or inadvertently started until the safety device has been replaced or
its operation restored.
7. For the purpose of this Article, the term "machinery" includes any
lifting appliance, mechanised hatch cover or power-driven equipment.
Article 14
All electrical equipment and installations shall be so constructed,
installed, operated and maintained as to prevent danger and shall conform
to such standards as have been recognised by the competent authority.
Article 15
When a ship is being loaded or unloaded alongside a quay or another
ship, adequate and safe means of access to the ship, properly installed
and secured, shall be provided and kept available.
Article 16
1. When workers have to be transported to or from a ship or other
place by water, adequate measures shall be taken to ensure their safe
embarking, transport and disembarking; the conditions to be complied with
by the vessels used for this purpose shall be specified.
2. When workers have to be transported to or from a workplace on land,
means of transport provided by the employer shall be safe.
Article 17
1. Access to a ship's hold or cargo deck shall be by means of
(a) a fixed stairway or, where this is not practicable, a fixed
ladder or cleats or cups of suitable dimensions, of adequate strength and
proper construction; or
(b) by other means acceptable to the competent authority.
2. So far as is reasonably practicable, the means of access specified
in this Article shall be separate from the hatchway opening.
3. Workers shall not use, or be required to use, any other means of
access to a ship's hold or cargo deck than those specified in this
Article.
Article 18
1. No hatch cover or beam shall be used unless it is of sound
construction, of adequate strength for the use to which it is to be put
and properly maintained.
2. Hatch covers handled with the aid of a lifting appliance shall be
fitted with readily accessible and suitable attachments for securing the
slings or other lifting gear.
3. Where hatch covers and beams are not interchangeable, they shall be
kept plainly marked to indicate the hatch to which they belong and their
position therein.
4. Only an authorised person (whenever practicable a member of the
ship's crew) shall be permitted to open or close power-operated hatch
covers; the hatch covers shall not be opened or closed while any person is
liable to be injured by the operation of the covers.
5. The provisions of paragraph 4 of this Article shall apply, mutatis
mutandis, to power-operated ship's equipment such as a door in the hull of
a ship, a ramp, a retractable car deck or similar equipment.
Article 19
1. Adequate measures shall be taken to protect any opening in or on a
deck where workers are required to work, through which opening workers or
vehicles are liable to fall.
2. Every hatchway not fitted with a coaming of adequate height and
strength shall be closed or its guard replaced when the hatchway is no
longer in use, except during short interruptions of work, and a
responsible person shall be charged with ensuring that these measures are
carried out.
Article 20
1. All necessary measures shall be taken to ensure the safety of
workers required to be in the hold or on a cargo deck of a ship when power
vehicles operate in that hold or loading or unloading operations are
taking place with the aid of power-operated appliances.
2. Hatch covers and beams shall not be removed or replaced while work
is in progress in the hold under the hatchway. Before loading or unloading
takes place, any hatch cover or beam that is not adequately secured
against displacement shall be removed.
3. Adequate ventilation shall be provided in the hold or on a cargo
deck by the circulation of fresh air to prevent risks of injury to health
arising from the fumes emitted by internal combustion engines or from
other sources.
4. Adequate arrangements, including safe means of escape, shall be
made for the safety of persons when dry bulk cargo is being loaded or
unloaded in any hold or' tween deck or when a worker is required to work
in a bin or hopper on board ship.
Article 21
Every lifting appliance, every item of loose gear and every sling or
lifting device forming an integral part of a load shall be
(a) of good design and construction, of adequate strength for the
purpose for which it is used, maintained in good repair and working order
and, in the case of a lifting appliance in respect of which this is
necessary, properly installed;
(b) used in a safe and proper manner and, in particular, shall not
be loaded beyond its safe working load or loads, except for testing
purposes as specified and under the direction of a competent person.
Article 22
1. Every lifting appliance and every item of loose gear shall be
tested in accordance with national laws or regulations by a competent
person before being put into use for the first time and after any
substantial alteration or repair to any part liable to affect its safety.
2. Lifting appliances forming part of a ship's equipment shall be
re-tested at least once in every five years.
3. Shore-based lifting appliances shall be re-tested at such times as
prescribed by the competent authority.
4. Upon the completion of every test of a lifting appliance or item of
loose gear carried out in accordance with this Article, the appliance or
gear shall be thoroughly examined and certified by the person carrying out
the test.
Article 23
1. In addition to the requirements of Article 22, every lifting
appliance and every item of loose gear shall be periodically thoroughly
examined and certified by a competent person. Such examinations shall take
place at least once in every 12 months.
2. For the purpose of paragraph 4 of Article 22 and of paragraph 1 of
this Article, a thorough examination means a detailed visual examination
by a competent person, supplemented if necessary by other suitable means
or measures in order to arrive at a reliable conclusion as to the safety
of the appliance or item of loose gear examined.
Article 24
1. Every item of loose gear shall be inspected regularly before use.
Expendable or disposable slings shall not be reused. In the case of
pre-slung cargoes, the slings shall be inspected as frequently as is
reasonable practicable.
2. For the purpose of paragraph 1 of this Article, an inspection means
a visual inspection by a responsible person carried out to decide whether,
so far as can be ascertained in such manner, the gear or sling is safe for
continued use.
Article 25
1. Such duly authenticated records as will provide prima facie
evidence of the safe condition of the lifting appliances and items of
loose gear concerned shall be kept, on shore or on the ship as the case
may be; they shall specify the safe working load and the dates and results
of the tests, thorough examinations and inspections referred to in
Articles 22, 23 and 24 of this Convention: Provided that in the case of
inspections referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 24 of this Convention, a
record need only be made where the inspection discloses a defect.
2. A register of the lifting appliances and items of loose gear shall
be kept in a form prescribed by the competent authority, account being
taken of the model recommended by the International Labour Office.
3. The register shall comprise certificates granted or recognised as
valid by the competent authority, or certified true copies of the said
certificates, in a form prescribed by the competent authority, account
being taken of the models recommended by the International Labour Office
in respect of the testing, thorough examination and inspection, as the
case may be, of lifting appliances and items of loose gear.
Article 26
1. With a view to ensuring the mutual recognition of arrangements made
by Members which have ratified this Convention for the testing, thorough
examination, inspection and certification of lifting appliances and items
of loose gear forming part of a ship's equipment and of the records
relating thereto
(a) the competent authority of each Member which has ratified the
Convention shall appoint or otherwise recognise competent persons or
national or international organizations to carry out tests and/or thorough
examinations and related functions, under conditions that ensure that the
continuance of appointment or recognition depends upon satisfactory
performance;
(b) Members which have ratified the Convention shall accept or
recognise those appointed or otherwise recognised pursuant to subparagraph
(a) of this paragraph, or shall enter into reciprocal arrangements with
regard to such acceptance or recognition; in either case, acceptance or
recognition shall be under conditions that make their continuance
dependent upon satisfactory performance.
2. No lifting appliance, loose gear or other cargo-handling appliance
shall be used if(a) the competent authority is not satisfied by reference to a
certificate of test or examination or to an authenticated record, as the
case may be, that the necessary test, examination or inspection has been
carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Convention; or
(b) in the view of the competent authority, the appliance or gear
is not safe for use.
3. Paragraph 2 of this Article shall not be so applied as to cause
delay in loading or unloading a ship where equipment satisfactory to the
competent authority is used.
Article 27
1. Every lifting appliance (other than a ship's derrick) having a
single safe working load and every item of loose gear shall be clearly
marked with its safe working load by stamping or, where this is
impracticable, by other suitable means.
2. Every lifting appliance (other than a ship's derrick) having more
than one safe working load shall e fitted with effective means of enabling
the driver to determine the safe working load under each condition of use.
3. Every ship's derrick (other than a derrick crane) shall be clearly
marked with the safe working loads applying when the derrick is used
(a) in single purchase;
(b) with a lower cargo block;
(c) in union purchase in all possible block positions.
Article 28
Every ship shall carry rigging plans and any other relevant
information necessary to permit the safe rigging of its derricks and
accessory gear.
Article 29
Pallets and similar devices for containing or supporting loads shall
be of sound construction, of adequate strength and free from visible
defects liable to affect their safe use.
Article 30
Loads shall not be raised or lowered unless slung or otherwise
attached to the lifting appliance in a safe manner.
Article 31
1. Every freight container terminal shall be so laid out and operated
as to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the safety of the
workers.
2. In the case of ships carrying containers, means shall be provided
for ensuring the safety of workers lashing or unlashing the containers.
Article 32
1. Any dangerous cargo shall be packed, marked and labelled, handled,
stored and stowed in accordance with the relevant requirements of
international regulations applying to the transport of dangerous goods by
water and those dealing specifically with the handling of dangerous goods
in ports.
2. Dangerous substances shall not be handled, stored or stowed unless
they are packed and marked and labelled in compliance with international
regulations for the transport of such substances.
3. If receptacles or containers of dangerous substances are broken or
damaged to a dangerous extent, dock work, other than that necessary to
eliminate danger, shall be stopped in the area concerned and the workers
removed to a safe place until the danger has been eliminated.
4. Adequate measures shall be taken to prevent the exposure of workers
to toxic or harmful substances or agents, or oxygen-deficient or flammable
atmospheres.
5. Where workers are required to enter any confined space in which
toxic or harmful substances are liable to be present or in which there is
liable to be an oxygen deficiency, adequate measures shall be taken to
prevent accidents or injury to health.
Article 33
Suitable precautions shall be taken to protect workers against the
harmful effects of excessive noise at the workplace.
Article 34
1. Where adequate protection against risks of accident or injury to
health cannot be ensured by other means, workers shall be provided with
and shall be required to make proper use of such personal protective
equipment and protective clothing as is reasonably required for the
performance of their work.
2. Workers shall be required to take care of that personal protective
equipment and protective clothing.
3. Personal protective equipment and protective clothing shall be
properly maintained by the employer.
Article 35
In case of accident, adequate facilities, including trained personnel,
shall be readily available for the rescue of any person in danger, for the
provision of first aid and for the removal of injured persons in so far as
is reasonably practicable without further endangering them.
Article 36
1. Each Member shall determine, by national laws or regulations or
other appropriate methods consistent with national practice and
conditions, and after consultation with the organizations of employers and
workers concerned
(a) for which risks inherent in the work there is to be an initial
medical examination or a periodical medical examination, or both;
(b) with due regard to the nature and degree of the risks and the
particular circumstances, the maximum intervals at which periodical
medical examinations are to be carried out;
(c) in the case of workers exposed to special occupational health
hazards, the range of special investigations deemed necessary;
(d) appropriate measures for the provision of occupational health
services for workers.
2. All medical examinations and investigations carried out in
pursuance of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be free of cost to the
worker.
3. The records of the medical examinations and the investigations
shall be confidential.
Article 37
1. Safety and health committees including employers' and workers'
representatives shall be formed at every port where there is a significant
number of workers. Such committees shall also be formed at other ports as
necessary.
2. The establishment, composition and functions of such committees
shall be determined by national laws or regulations or other appropriate
methods consistent with national practice and conditions, after
consultation with the organizations of employers and workers concerned,
and in the light of local circumstances.
Article 38
1. No worker shall be employed in dock work unless he has been given
adequate instruction or training as to the potential risks attaching to
his work and the main precautions to be taken.
2. A lifting appliance or other cargo-handling appliance shall be
operated only by a person who is at least 18 years of age and who
possesses the necessary aptitudes and experience or a person under
training who is properly supervised.
Article 39
To assist in the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases,
measures shall be taken to ensure that they are reported to the competent
authority and, where necessary, investigated.
Article 40
In accordance with national laws or regulations or national practice,
a sufficient number of adequate and suitable sanitary and washing
facilities shall be provided and properly maintained at each dock,
wherever practicable within a reasonable distance of the workplace.
PART IV. IMPLEMENTATION
Article 41
Each Member which ratifies this Convention shall
(a) specify the duties in respect of occupational safety and health
of persons and bodies concerned with dock work;
(b) take necessary measures, including the provision of
appropriate penalties, to enforce the provisions of the Convention;
(c) provide appropriate inspection services to supervise the
application of the measures to be taken in pursuance of the Convention, or
satisfy itself that appropriate inspection is carried out.
Article 42
1. National laws or regulations shall prescribe the time-limits within
which the provisions of this Convention shall apply in respect of
(a) the construction or equipping of a ship;
(b) the construction or equipping of any shore-based lifting
appliance or other cargo-handling appliance;
(c) the construction of any item of loose gear.
2. The time-limits prescribed pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article
shall not exceed four years from the date of ratification of the
Convention.
PART V. FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 43
This Convention revises the Protection against Accidents (Dockers)
Convention, 1929, and the Protection against Accidents (Dockers)
Convention (Revised), 1932.
Article 44
The formal ratifications of this Convention shall be communicated to
the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration.
Article 45
1. This Convention shall be binding only upon those Members of the
International Labour Organization whose ratifications have been registered
with the Director-General.
2. It shall come into force 12 months after the date on which the
ratifications of two Members have been registered with the
Director-General.
3. Thereafter, this Convention shall come into force for any Member 12
months after the date on which its ratification has been registered.
Article 46
1. A Member which has ratified this Convention may denounce it after
the expiration of ten years from the date on which the Convention first
comes into force, by an act communicated to the Director-General of the
International Labour Office for registration. Such denunciation shall not
take effect until one year after the date on which it is registered.
2. Each Member which has ratified this Convention and which does not,
within the year following the expiration of the period of ten years
mentioned in the preceding paragraph, exercise the right of denunciation
provided for in this Article, will be bound for another period of ten
years and, thereafter, may denounce this Convention at the expiration of
each period of ten years under the terms provided for in this Article.
Article 47
1. The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall
notify all Members of the International Labour Organization of the
registration of all ratifications and denunciations communicated to him by
the Members of the Organization.
2. When notifying the Members of the Organization of the registration
of the second ratification communicated to him, the Director-General shall
draw the attention of the Members of the Organization to the date upon
which the Convention will come into force.
Article 48
The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall
communicate to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for
registration in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United
Nations full particulars of all ratifications and acts of denunciation
registered by him in accordance with the provisions of the preceding
Articles.
Article 49
At such times as it may consider necessary the Governing Body of the
International Labour Office shall present to the General Conference a
report on the working of this Convention and shall examine the
desirability of placing on the agenda of the Conference the question of
its revision in whole or in part.
Article 50
1. Should the Conference adopt a new Convention revising this
Convention in whole or in part, then, unless the new Convention otherwise
provides
(a) the ratification by a Member of the new revising Convention
shall ipso jure involve the immediate denunciation of this Convention,
notwithstanding the provisions of Article 46 above, if and when the new
revising Convention shall have come into force;
(b) as from the date when the new revising Convention comes into
force this Convention shall cease to be open to ratification by the
Members.
2. This Convention shall in any case remain in force in its actual
form and content for those Members which have ratified it but have not
ratified the revising Convention.
Article 51
The English and French versions of the text of this Convention are
equally authoritative.
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