10 times more people die from hazardous substances than from workplace accidents
May 3rd 2009 Contact with a wide range of chemicals and other hazardous substances at work is endangering the health of workers across Europe, according to the latest report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
Expert Forecast on Emerging Chemical Risks - identifies the main groups of substances that could pose new and increasing risks to workers, contributing to diseases that range from allergies, asthma, and infertility to cancers.
Nanotechnology concern
Workers across a range of industries such as farming, nursing and construction are frequently dealing with potentially dangerous chemicals, many of them unaware of the risks. Nanotechnology, in particular, is an industry that is causing concern."It is estimated that each year there are 74,000 work-related deaths linked to hazardous substances encountered in the workplace. This means that 10 times more people die from dangerous substances than from workplace accidents. Management of chemical risks is particularly poor in SMEs and subcontractor firms", says Jukka Takala, director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
10% of workers in Europe report having inhaled vapours and a further 19% claim to have breathed in dust, fumes or smoke in the workplace.
The UK recognises that many work activities pose the risk of exposure to hazardous substances and has for many years had in place legal controls - supported by practical guidance - that require employers to identify, assess and either eliminate or reduce risk to as low as is reasonably practicable. This covers a wide range of substances and preparations (mixtures of two or more substances) with the potential to cause harm if they are inhaled, ingested or come into contact with, or are absorbed through, the skin. This regime also applies to new and emerging technologies and provides a robust legal framework for the protection of workers using such materials.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) place a legal duty on employers to identify and assess risks, and to eliminate or control them.
The forecast also highlights substances likely to cause cancers, for example diesel exhausts. As to reprotoxicants, substances that can damage reproductive health, the level of awareness is still very scarce and stigmatised as a women's health issue. They are too rarely considered in workplace risk assessments and in prevention.
Full report: http://osha.europa.eu/en More articles from European Agency For Safety & Health At Work (EU-OSHA): | 
