Health, Safety and Environment - International Labour Organization

Manual 4:HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT FACT SHEETS InformationHealth andsafety lawThere is a wide diversity of approaches in national legislation. Check thesummaries provided by your union educator of applicable laws in yourcountry.ILO Convention No. 184 on Safety and Health in AgricultureArticle 16The minimum age for work likely to harm the safety and health of youngpersons shall not be less than 18 years. After consultation with employersand workers’ organisations, national laws shall determine the types ofemployment or work that fit into this harmful category.After consultation with employers and workers’ organisations, nationallaws may authorise 16-18 year-olds to perform this work provided they aretrained and fully protected.ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum AgeConvention No. 138 remains the bedrock of national and internationalaction for the total abolition of child labour. While the effective eliminationof child labour is the ultimate objective, it is closely related to economicand social factors such as poverty and underdevelopment – and thus willtake time to be accomplished. In the meantime, there are certain forms ofchild labour that cannot be tolerated, regardless of a country’s level ofdevelopment or economic situation. The aim of Convention No. 182 (seebelow) is therefore targeting the intolerable and calling for immediateaction for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child LabourArticle 1Each Member which ratifies this Convention shall take immediate andeffective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worstforms of child labour as a matter of urgency.Article 2For the purposes of this Convention, the term child shall apply to all personsunder the age of 18.140 Health, Safety and EnvironmentA Series of Trade Union EducationManuals for Agricultural Workers