Work place carcinogens responsible for 5,000 cases of cancer annually

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDFeb 21 2012

According to researchers carcinogens in the workplace are causing about 5,000 cancers each year and medical experts say not enough is being done to reduce the risks.

In an article for the Medical Journal of Australia, Professor Lin Fritschi and co-authors said it was difficult to estimate the exact number of cases that could be attributed to cancer-causing agents in the workplace. “(But) it has been estimated that about 5000 cancers a year are caused by occupational exposures,” they said.

Despite the statistics, however, little progress had been made on Australia's regulatory approach to the health hazard. “Work-related cancer attracts considerable public and media attention, but has received limited attention from researchers and policymakers in Australia, particularly in comparison to other cancers, such as those related to tobacco use and sun exposure,” the authors write.

It is a high time now that the government should take action, said Lin. Not many efforts are being taken to identify and address occupational health issues in Australia. The government for a long time has been adopting this lazy attitude to take some authoritative decision in this regard.

Lin said that the government should introduce industrial laws which should be made after considering employees safety in the mind.

There will be many people who might not even know about hazardous carcinogens and their ill effects on the body. “Poor awareness of exposure to occupational carcinogens and (a) lack of attribution of cancer to occupational causes...limit opportunities to reduce the likelihood and extent of exposure…In addition, potentially legitimate compensation cases are not pursued.:

To prevent future workplace cancers, the authors said more data needed to be collected. Australian health and occupational bodies must also study who is being exposed to carcinogens, the industries in which they occur and the concentration and frequency of exposures. “In addition, audits and reviews should be instigated to determine what is being done to introduce best practice to Australia,” they said.