Principles and approaches

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2. Principles and approaches

2.1. Organizational measures

2.1.1. The prevention or reduction of occupational risks due to insulation wools

should be:

i) based on the general principles of occupational safety and health, taking due

account of the relevant provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health

Convention (No. 155) and Recommendation (No. 164), 1981, and of the

Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention (No.

148) and Recommendation (No. 156), 1977; and

ii) conducted within the general framework of the organization of occupational

safety and health at the enterprise level, taking due account of the relevant

provisions of the Occupational Health Services Convention (No. 161) and

Recommendation (No. 171), 1985.

2.1.2. The basic approach of the assessment of occupational hazards, and the

evaluation and control of risks, should be followed as regards occupational hazards due

to insulation wools, with a view to continuing improvement, as it should be for the other

occupational hazards present at the workplace (such as chemicals, other dust, noise and

vibration). This approach should include surveillance of the working environment and of

the workers’ health.

2.1.3. The application of the provisions of this code should take into account the

following recognized hierarchy of preventive and protective measures:

(i) eliminate the risks by using products or technologies which permit risks to be

eliminated or reduced to a minimum;

(ii) control the risks at source, for example by isolating the process and engineering

control measures;

(iii) minimize the risks, for example, by technical measures such as local and general

ventilation, safe work practices, and administrative measures such as job

rotation;

(iv) use appropriate personal protective equipment.

2.2. Procedures

2.2.1. Procedures should be developed for the specific needs of each operation,1

and should include provisions on:

1 Technical information and guidance documents can be found in the CISDOC database produced by

the ILO’s International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre.