Preface

• Pages: V-VI

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Preface

These International Labour Organization (ILO) guide-

lines are the first of their kind to provide assistance to ensure

safe work in shipbreaking within the framework of the ILO’s

Decent Work Agenda. In so doing they provide advice on the

transformation of a mainly informal economy activity into a

more formal organized one.

The guidelines are designed to assist shipbreakers and

competent authorities alike to implement the relevant pro-

visions of ILO standards, codes of practice and other guide-

lines on occupational safety and health and working condi-

tions, and the provisions of instruments of other relevant

international organizations, aiming at progressive improve-

ment. The practical recommendations in these guidelines are

for use by all those who are responsible for occupational

safety and health in shipbreaking operations. The guidelines

are not legally binding, nor are they intended to replace

national laws, regulations or accepted standards. They pro-

vide guidance to those engaged in the framing of relevant

provisions and the setting up of effective national systems,

procedures and enterprise regulations, where they do not

exist.

These ILO guidelines were adopted unanimously by the

Interregional Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Safety and

Health in Shipbreaking for Selected Asian Countries

and Turkey, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 7 to 14 October

2003. The spirit of cooperation among all participants paved

the way for developing consensus on a comprehensive and

practical set of guidelines which, if widely used, will benefit all

who work in the shipbreaking industry. The Governing Body

of the ILO approved the publication of the guidelines at its

289th Session (March 2004).