Foreword

• Pages: V-VI

Foreword

At its 33rd Session, in 1950, the International Labour Con-

ference adopted a resolution drawing attention to the need for

further study of the safety and health problems associated with

mechanisation and the use of chemicals in agricultural work. In

the course of its Fifth Session, the Permanent Agricultural Com-

mittee welcomed that resolution and expressed a desire that inter-

national standards of safety and health should be laid down for

agricultural work.

In pursuance of the above-mentioned resolution the Governing

Body convened in 1964 a meeting of experts who were called upon,

in particular, to examine a draft code of practice relating to safety

and health in agriculture. In addition to approving the draft code

the experts recommended that detailed work should be done on

several agricultural hazards, including tractors.

The present code of practice has been prepared in accordance

with those decisions and recommendations.

The scope of the project was expanded to include not only

agricultural tractors but all tractors, and a draft code was prepared

by the International Labour Office. This preliminary draft was

submitted for comments and observations to the 40 members of

an ILO tripartite panel of consultants on safety and health in agri-

culture, as well as to various interested international organisations.

The ILO panel

is

composed of consultants specialising in the various

aspects of the subject, and includes persons from different coun-

tries who reflect the views and experience of governments and of

employers' organisations and trade unions. Their observations and

comments were embodied in the second draft which was also

submitted to the panel, and the present consolidated text has been

prepared in the light of that second consultation.

Although couched in the language of a set of rules, this code

of practice has no binding force and is not intended to supersede

national law or regulations or accepted standards; it is merely a

body of practical advice for the use of all persons, whether in the

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