ILO Codes of Practice set out practical guidelines for public authorities, employers, workers, enterprises, and specialized occupational safety and health protection bodies (such as enterprise safety committees). They are not legally binding instruments and are not intended to replace the provisions of national laws or regulations, or accepted standards. Codes of Practice provide guidance on safety and health at work in certain economic sectors (e.g. construction, opencast mines, coal mines, iron and steel industries, non-ferrous metals industries, agriculture, shipbuilding and ship repairing, forestry), on protecting workers against certain hazards (e.g. radiation, lasers, visual display units, chemicals, asbestos, airborne substances), and on certain safety and health measures (e.g. occupational safety and health management systems; ethical guidelines for workers' health surveillance; recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases; protection of workers' personal data; safety, health and working conditions in the transfer of technology to developing countries).
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Guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems (ILO-OSH 2001)
These Guidelines present practical tools and call for coherent policies to protect workers from occupational hazards and risks while improving productivity.
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Technical and ethical guidelines for workers' health surveillance (OSH 72)
These guidelines provide assistance for workers' health surveillance schemes that facilitate preventive action for a healthy and safe working environment.
Codes of Practice
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Code of Practice on Safety and Health in the Use of Machinery
02 March 2012
This code of practice is intended to provide guidance on safety and health in the use of machinery at the workplace. A Meeting of Experts on Safety in the Use of Machinery was convened in Geneva from 29 November to 7 December 2011 and adopted a code of practice on safety and health in the use of machinery.
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Safety and health in agriculture
21 March 2011
This code of practice is intended to raise awareness of the hazards and risks associated with agriculture and promote their effective management and control; to help prevent occupational accidents and diseases and improve the working environment in practice; to encourage governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders to cooperate to prevent accidents and diseases; to promote more positive attitudes and behaviour towards occupational safety and health in agriculture throughout the sector; ensure that good workplace health and safety practices are applied to all workers in the workplace regardless of age or gender.
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Safety and health in underground coalmines
13 May 2006
This new code, which reflects the many changes in the industry, its workforce, the roles of the competent authorities, employers, workers and their organizations, and on the development of new ILO instruments on occupational safety and health, focuses on the production of coal from underground mines. The original code of practice on safety and health in coalmines was adopted by the Governing Body in 1986. Surface mining is covered by the code of practice, Safety and health in opencast mines (1991). This code of practice is based on principles established in international instruments relevant to the protection of workers' safety and health.
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Safety in the use of synthetic vitreous fibre insulation wools (glass wool, rock wool, slag wool)
01 January 2001
This ILO code of practice defines major principles and approaches concerning safety requirements and precautions in the use of insulation wools (glass wool, rock wool and slag wool). It provides practical control measures to minimize occupational exposure to fibres and dusts from insulation wools, prevent irritation and discomfort, and avert any long-term health risks involved in working with such products. The code promotes an integrated approach, taking account of the fact that synthetic vitreous fibre insulation wools do not appear in the workplace in their pure forms but rather as a product with mixed components. Emphasis is placed on addressing all the hazards arising from the product (insulation fibres, binders and other materials), taking account of real work situations.