Introduction

• Author: International Labour Organization
• Pages: 1-2

MEISI05-R-2005-02-0159-1-En.doc

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Introduction

In accordance with the decision taken by the Governing Body of the ILO at its

288th Session in November 2003, a Meeting of Experts on Safety and Health in the Iron

and Steel Industry was convened in Geneva from 1 to 9 February 2005 to draw up and

adopt a revised code of practice on safety and health in the iron and steel industry. The

Meeting was composed of seven experts appointed following consultations with

Governments, eight experts appointed following consultations with the Employers’ group

and eight experts appointed following consultations with the Workers’ group of the

Governing Body.

The original code of practice on safety and health in the iron and steel industry was

adopted at a meeting of experts in 1981. This new code, which reflects the many changes

in the industry, its workforce, the roles of the competent authorities, employers, workers

and their organizations, and on the development of new ILO instruments on occupational

safety and health, focuses on the production of iron and steel and basic iron and steel

products, such as rolled and coated steel, including from recycled material. It does not deal

with the mining of raw materials for iron and steel production, which is covered by the

Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176), and by codes of practice on

safety and health in coal mines (1986) and safety and health in opencast mines (1991), nor

does it deal with the fabrication of commercial steel products.

This code of practice is based on principles established in international instruments

relevant to the protection of workers’ safety and health. The first two chapters deal with

the objectives and application of the code. The next two chapters address, within a national

framework, the responsibilities, duties and rights of the competent authority, the labour

inspectorate, employers, workers and their organizations, suppliers, manufacturers and

designers, and contractors, and occupational safety and health (OSH) management systems

and services and OSH reporting.

Part II of the code addresses different operations commonly used in the production of

iron and steel – from coke ovens to steel furnaces and foundries, to rolling mills, coating

lines and recycling. It also covers transport, competence and training, personal protective

equipment, emergency preparedness, and special protection and hygiene issues. Each

section describes hazards, assesses risk and provides guidance on eliminating or

controlling risk.

Where appropriate, the code draws on relevant parts of existing ILO instruments,

including: Occupational safety and health in the iron and steel industry (Geneva, 1983);

Safety in the use of chemicals at work (Geneva, 1993); Management of alcohol- and drug-

related issues in the workplace (Geneva, 1996); Technical and ethical guidelines for

workers’ health surveillance (Geneva, 1998); Guidelines on occupational safety and health

management systems (Geneva, 2001); Safety in the use of synthetic vitreous fibre

insulation wools (glass wool, rock wool, slag wool) (Geneva, 2001); Ambient factors in the

workplace (Geneva, 2001); HIV/AIDS and the world of work (Geneva, 2001); and Safety

and health in the non-ferrous metals industries (Geneva, 2003). The annexes include

information on hazard identification, risk assessment and control and, drawn from relevant

ILO instruments, information on workers’ health surveillance, surveillance of the working

environment and on establishing an OSH management system. As these instruments are

updated, the references to them in electronic versions of this code will be adjusted

accordingly. There is also information on exposure limits and on chemicals used in the iron

and steel industry.

The practical recommendations of ILO codes of practice are intended for the use of

all those, both in the public and private sectors, who have responsibility for safety and