Workplace carcinogen exposure

Amanda Eng and Jim McLeod provide an update on workplace exposure to carcinogens.

The New Zealand Carcinogens Survey reveals for the first time the extent to which New Zealanders experience cancer-causing substances and other exposures in their workplace. The survey, released in March this year, reports that more than half (58%) of all workers are exposed to at least one workplace carcinogen at some level.

Topics

intro
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What percentage of workers are exposed to carcinogens at work?
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What are the most common carcinogens in the workplace?
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What is it about shift work that makes it a carcinogen?
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What industries & occupations do we need to be particularly aware of?
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Are there sex and ethnic variation in exposure?
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Why are Maori and Pacific workers and men most likely to be exposed to carcinogens?
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Why is it important to inquire about someone's occupation and exposure?
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If we are concerned about an individual's exposure at work, what can we do?
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What would we do now?
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Take-home messages
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Take home messages

It is crucial that work-related health remains at the forefront.
Findings suggest that preventive efforts to reduce exposure should start with the most common carcinogens and the identified high-risk industries and occupations.
It is increasingly clear that high-exposure work is more commonly done by Māori, Pasifika and Men.
The enquiry and recording of occupation (as a defacto for exposure) in clinical practice is a crucial step towards improving our understanding and surveillance of work-related ill-health in NZ.

Resources

Carcinogen exposure in Aotearoa workplaces is unacceptably high Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa
Inequities in exposure to occupational risk factors between Māori and non-Māori workers in Aotearoa New Zealand PubMed

Presenter

Amanda Eng

Senior Research Officer

Dr Amanda Eng is a Senior Research Officer at the Research Centre for Hauora and Health (RCHH) at Massey University. She has considerable experience in conducting epidemiological studies in the field of occupational exposure and health.

Presenter

Jim McLeod

Independent Occupational Health Adviser

Dr. Jim McLeod was employed by WorkSafe NZ and involved in discussions about the contents of the NZCS. After leaving WorkSafe, he was involved in peer review of results. He works as an independent Occupational Health adviser. MBChB DOHP DOM FFOM (RCPI)