ILO Convention (No. 192) on Biological Hazards in the Working Environment

I would like to inform the House that today the Government will place a copy of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Biological Hazards in the Working Environment Convention (No. 192), in the form of an Explanatory Note in libraries of both Houses. The Explanatory Note will also include the accompanying Biological Hazards in the Working Environment Recommendation (No. 209).

Convention No. 192 and Recommendation No. 209 were adopted at the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference in June 2025. The Convention establishes international standards to strengthen the prevention of, and protection against, biological hazards in the workplace, including through arrangements for preparedness and response to accidents and emergencies.

The Government supports the aim of the Convention and Recommendation, which is to strengthen protections for workers against biological hazards through prevention, preparedness and effective enforcement. However, the Government is not in a position to ratify Convention No. 192. While UK policy broadly aligns with the objectives of the Convention, consultation has identified that some legislative and procedural changes would be required for UK ratification. The specific reasons are set out in the Explanatory Note. The UK will continue to consider ratification in the future.