A.—sb

4

responsible for the observance of the law, and are liable to be proceeded against in the event of deliberate violation of or serious negligence in observing the law, without previous warning from the Inspector. It is understood that the foregoing principle does not apply in special cases where the law provides that notice shall be given in the first instance to the employer to carry out certain measures, (b.) That, as a general rule, the visits of the Inspectors should be made without any previous notice to the employer. It is desirable that adequate measures should be taken by t' c State to ensure that employers, officials, and workers are acquainted with the provisions of the law and the measures to be taken for the protection of the health and safety of the workers, as, for example, by requiring the employer to post in his establishment an abstract of the requirements of the law. 18. That, while it is recognized that very wide differences exist between the size and importance of one establishment and another, and that there may be special difficulties in countries or areas of a rural character where factories are widely scattered, it is desirable that, as far as possible, every establishment should be visited by an Inspector for the purposes of general inspection not less frequently than once a year, in addition to any special visits that may be made for the purpose of investigating a particular complaint or for other purposes ; and that large establishments and establishments of which the management is unsatisfactory from the point of view of the protection of the health and Safety of the workers, and establishments in which dangerous or unhealthy processes are carried on, should be visited much more frequently. It is desirable that when any serious irregularity has been discovered in an establishment it should be revisited by the Inspector at an early date with a view to ascertaining whether the irregularity has been remedied. D. Co-operation of Employers and Workers. 19. That it is essential that the workers and their representatives should be afforded every facility for communicating freely with the Inspectors as to any defect or breach of the law in the establishment in which they are employed ; that every such complaint should, as far as possible, be investigated promptly by the Inspector ; that the complaint should be treated as absolutely confidential by the Inspector ; and that no intimation even should be given to the employer or his officials that the visit made for the purpose of investigation is being made in consequence of the receipt of a complaint. 20. That, with a view to securing full co-operation of the employers and workers and their respective organizations in promoting a high standard in regard to the conditions affecting the health and safety of the workers, it is desirable that the inspectorate should confer from time to time with the representatives of the employers' and workers' organizations as to the best measures to be taken for this purpose. IV. Inspectors' Reports. 21. That Inspectors should regularly submit to their central authority reports framed on uniform lines dealing with their work and its results, and that the said authority should publish an annual report as soon as possible, and in any case within one year, after the end of the year to which it relates, containing a general survey of the information furnished by the Inspectors ; that the calendar year should be uniformly adopted for these reports. 22. That the annual general report should contain a list of the laws and regulations relating to conditions of work made during the year which it covers. 23. That this annual report should also give the statistical tables necessary in order to provide all information on the organization and work of the inspectorate and on the results obtained. The information supplied should, as far as possible, state — (a) The strength and organization of the staff of the inspectorate; (b) the number of establishments covered by the laws and regulations, classified by industries, and indicating the number of workers employed (men, women, young persons, children) ; (c) the number of visits of inspection made for each class of establishment, with an indication of the number of workers employed in the establishments inspected (the number of workers being taken to be the number employed at the time of the first visit of the year), and the number of establishments inspected more than once during the year ; (d) the number of and nature of breaches of the laws and regulations brought before the competent authorities, and the number and nature of the convictions by the competent authority ; (c) the number, nature, and the cause of accidents and occupational diseases notified, tabulated according to class of establishment. The foregoing is the authentic text of the recommendation duly adopted by the General Conference of the International. Labour Organization during its Fifth Session which was held at Geneva and declared closed the 29th day of October, 1923. In faith whereof we have appended our signatures, this 3rd day of December, 1923. The President of the Conference, M. Adatci. The Director of tho International Labour Office, Albert Thomas.

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