Occupational cancer kills hundreds of thousands each year, yet it is largely preventable. Saeed Ahmadi, an OSH content developer at IOSH, explores the urgent need to identify workplace carcinogens, implement strong controls, and put prevention at the heart of every safety strategy.
Cancer is one of today’s greatest health challenges.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022 alone there were 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths worldwide, with one in five people expected to develop cancer according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Yet most countries still underfund cancer care. Work-related cancers are a major concern too: between 2013 and 2022, more than 37,000 cases were recognised in the EU, with lung cancer and asbestos-linked mesothelioma among the most common.
By 2050, cancer cases could rise to 35 million a year, based on IARC figures, largely due to ageing, lifestyle, and workplace exposures to carcinogens. We often focus on family history or age, but many cancers are linked to substances people encounter at work. The good news? The occupational cancer risk is considerably preventable. Avoiding carcinogens, sufficient risk assessment backed by enough evidence, following safety measures, and supporting early detection can save lives.
Every year, nearly three-quarters of a million people die from cancers caused by workplace exposures. These aren’t due to lifestyle or genetics – they are preventable. Occupational cancer doesn’t happen overnight. It develops over years of exposure to carcinogens in the workplace. These harmful substances can be solids, liquids, gases, dusts, or radiation. Workers may breathe them in, absorb them through their skin, or accidentally swallow them. The danger is the latency: symptoms can appear decades later.
This raises urgent questions: Which carcinogens are in your workplace? How many people are exposed? Are safety measures enough?
EU-OSHA recently surveyed workers in six EU countries. They looked at exposure to 24 known carcinogens, including asbestos, benzene, diesel emissions, wood dust, formaldehyde, and solar UV radiation. The results were concerning. Solar UV radiation, diesel emissions, benzene, respirable crystalline silica, and formaldehyde were the most common exposures.
High exposure levels were found in construction, mining, quarrying, and industries like road maintenance, woodworking, and firefighting. Alarmingly, over 60% of workers in certain sectors faced multiple carcinogen exposures. Longer working hours increased risk, with those working more than 50 hours a week more likely to encounter multiple hazards.
Occupational cancer is a slow-moving killer, but it’s preventable. Awareness and action – identifying risks, managing exposures, and implementing strong controls – can save lots of lives.
When it comes to carcinogens at work, prevention must come first. A practical approach is the International Occupational Hygiene Association’s (IOHA) Transmission Receptor model (see Resources, below). Simply put: there’s a source (the carcinogen), it moves through the workplace (transmission), and it reaches workers (receptor).
This framework helps us gather reliable data to shape risk control strategies. The key questions to ask actually are: What is the carcinogen and in what form – solid, liquid, gas, dust, or radiation? Can it be replaced with something safer? How is it dispersed, and who is exposed – for how long? What are the short- and long-term health effects? Answering these questions with high-quality evidence is essential. Sometimes, this requires support from external experts, such as occupational hygienists, to measure and understand workplace exposure accurately.
The fight against carcinogens follows a clear hierarchy. Substitution is the first step – replacing a hazardous material with a safer alternative reduces health risks, lowers costs for equipment and medical checks, and most importantly, protects workers’ lives. When substitution isn’t possible, technical controls – like closed systems, ventilation, or encapsulation – are the next step. Check existing systems for effectiveness and maintain them properly, while training workers clearly and simply.
Organisational measures are also important. Adjusting workflows, limiting access, and reducing exposure times can make a significant difference, especially in cleaning or maintenance tasks. Finally, personal protective equipment (PPE) acts as a last line of defence. PPE should never replace higher-level measures – it’s a backup, not a solution.
All businesses must commit to protecting workers’ right to a safe workplace. Embedding prevention as a core value is not just good practice – it’s a responsibility. Evidence-based strategies, combined with strong leadership and accountability, ensure that occupational cancer risks are managed effectively, safeguarding health today and in the future.
Source – IOSH
