R181 - Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Recommendation, 1993 (No. 181)

Preamble

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 80th Session on 2 June 1993, and

Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to the prevention of major industrial accidents, which is the fourth item on the agenda of the session, and

Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of a Recommendation supplementing the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention, 1993;

adopts this twenty-second day of June of the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-three the following Recommendation, which may be cited as the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Recommendation, 1993.

1. 1. The provisions of this Recommendation should be applied in conjunction with those of the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention, 1993 (hereafter referred to as " the Convention ").
2. 2.
   • (1) The International Labour Organization, in cooperation with other relevant international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, should arrange for an international exchange of information on:
     • (a) good safety practices in major hazard installations including safety management and process safety;
     • (b) major accidents;
     • (c) lessons drawn from near misses;
     • (d) technologies and processes that are prohibited for reasons of safety and health;
     • (e) medical organization and techniques for dealing with the aftermath of a major accident;
     • (f) the mechanisms and procedures used by competent authorities to give effect to the implementation of the Convention and this Recommendation.
   • (2) Members should, as far as possible, communicate information on the matters listed in subparagraph (1) above to the International Labour Office.
3. 3. The national policy provided for in the Convention and the national laws and regulations or other measures to implement it should, as appropriate, be guided by the ILO Code of practice on the Prevention of major industrial accidents, published in 1991.
4. 4. Members should develop policies aimed at addressing the major accident risks, hazards and their consequences within the sectors and activities excluded from the scope of the Convention by virtue of Article 1, paragraph 3, thereof.
5. 5. Recognizing that a major accident could have serious consequences in terms of its impact on human life and the environment, Members should encourage the establishment of systems to compensate workers as quickly as possible after the event and adequately address the effects on the public and the environment.
6. 6. In accordance with the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, adopted by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, a national or multinational enterprise with more than one establishment should provide safety measures relating to the prevention of major accidents and the control of developments likely to lead to a major accident, without discrimination, to the workers in all its establishments, regardless of the place or country in which they are situated.