occupational cancer: an australian problem? cancer in the workplac… · cancer council australia...

OCCUPATIONAL CANCER:

an Australian problem?

Deborah Vallance

AMWU

Acknowledgement

Ngunnawal people on whose land we stand today

Summary of presentations

kNOw cancer in the workplace

Cancer Council AustraliaACTU Canberra Dec 2009

Prof Lin Fritschi

Western Australian Institute for Medical Research

What I could do to reduce my cancer risk %

mentioning

� Sun protection 67� Eat well 50� Regular checkups 44� Not smoke 35� Be active/healthy weight 32� Eat more fruit/veges/cereals 27� Limit alcohol 13� Reduce stress 8� Avoid chemicals/pesticides 7� Avoid passive smoking 2

� Results from Queensland Cancer Risks Survey, 2004

Prof Lin Fritschi


� Estimated 5000 work-related cancers each year

� 11% of incident cancers in males

� 2% of incident cancers in females

plus about 34 000 non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)

� 13% NMSCs in males

� 4% NMSCs in females

Prof Lin Fritschi


Australian workers

potentially exposed to

carcinogens

�20% of the workforce

�1.5 million workers

Prof Lin Fritschi. Western Australian Institute for Medical Research

Cancer in males

Cancer in males Attributable fraction Predicted number of cases

� Lung 29% 1,530� Prostate 6% 630� Mesothelioma 90% 352� Bladder 14% 304� Colon 6% 265� Leukaemia 18% 264� NHL 13% 252� Melanoma 4% 192� Stomach 10% 131� Pancreas 13% 122

Prof Lin Fritschi. Western Australian Institute for Medical Research

Cancer in males

Attributable Predictedfraction no. Cases

� Mesothelioma 90% 352� Lung 29% 1,530� Nasal sinuses 24% 21� Leukaemia 18% 264� Bladder 14% 304� NHL 13% 252� Pancreas 13% 122� Brain 11% 86� Stomach 10% 131

Pam Eliason www.turi.org


Lots of toxics

Fewer toxics


� The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act 1989

� Goals 50% reduction in by-product

� Promote the competitive advantage of Massachusetts Industry

� Reduce the production and use of toxic chemicals


What Companies Must Do

� Report annually on amount of toxics used

� Conduct toxics use reduction planning every two years

� Pay an annual fee


TUR Techniques

� Chemical Input Substitution

� Product Redesign

� Process Modification

� Operations and Maintenance Improvements

� In-Process Recycling


What Do Companies Think?

� 70% identified TUR options

� 81% of these implemented TUR

� 67% saw cost savings

� 66% saw health and safety benefits

� Most valuable component of TUR ……Materials Accounting


� use 40% reduction

� by-products 70% reduction

� emissions 90% reduction

� shipped in 60% reduction


Safer Alternatives Exist!

� There’s No Excuse For It

� Drop-In Substitutes

� Process Changes

� Different Materials

� Emerging Opportunities

Companies have saved millions of $$

•……and maintain competitive advantage

• reductions have been significant

• working environment safer


Use of Carcinogens

Cadmium 40% reduction

Formaldehyde 70% reduction

Percholoroethylene 70% reduction

Trichloroethylene 75% reduction


Emissions reduction

� Cadmium 100% reduction

� Formaldehyde ~90%

� Perc ~99%

� TCE ~98%

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist

�


Primary Prevention is critical for allCanadians

� In 1930s, 1 in 10 Canadians could expect to develop cancer over their lifetime

� In 1970, the number had increased to 1 in 5

� Today, 1 in 2.7 women and 1 in 2.4 men can expect to develop cancer over their lifetime

—Canadian Cancer Society Annual Statistics 2002 (figures age-standardized to adjust for aging population)


Percentage Cancer due to Occupational Exposuresbased on WHO Exposure Models� Lung Cancer 6-13 %� Larynx Cancer 1-20� Nose/nasopharynx 33-46� Mesothelioma 85-90� Bladder cancer 7-19� Kidney cancer 0-2� Liver cancer 1 � Skin cancer 1-6� Leukemia 1-3

Steenland et al, Am J Indust Medicine, 2003


Worker Protection not a focus

� UV sunlight responsible for 1 per cent of cancers (in Canada)

� Smoking accounts for 29 per cent of cancers

� Occupational-environmental carcinogens responsible for 20 % of some cancers and 90% of asbestos related cancers

� But government prevention programs focus mainly on the first two causes


Building alliances: ensure workplace

cancer is part of public health focus on

cancer prevention & environmental

Pollution

� occupational health and cancer researchers,

� labour;

� regulators;

� cancer agencies,

� environmental ngo’s


Industrial Chemicals� 1,2-Dichloroethane� 1,3-Butadiene� 1,4-Dioxane� Acetaldehyde� Acrylamide� Acrylonitrile� Benzene� Bitumens� Chloroform� Coal-tar & pitches� Creosotes� Dichloromethane� Epichlorohydrin� Ethylbenzene


� Ethylene oxide� Formaldehyde� Naphthalene� Nitrobenzene� Polychlorinated biphenyls� Styrene� Tetrachloroethylene� Toluene di-isocyanates� Trichloroethylene

Pesticides� 2,4-D� Chlorothalonil� MCPA� MCPP� Pentachlorophenol


Environmental Pollutants� 1,3-Butadiene� TCDD� Acetaldehyde� Benzene� Chloroform� Dichloromethane� Ethylbenzene� Ethylene oxide� Formaldehyde� PCBs� Styrene� Tetrachloroethylene


� Metals � Arsenic & compounds� Cadmium & compounds� Chromium, hexavalent� Lead & compounds� Nickel & compounds

� Pesticides� 2,4-D� Chlorothalonil� Dichlorvos� Lindane� MCPA, MCPP� Pentachlorophenol

� Others� Asbestos� Chlorination byproducts� PAHs� Particulate air pollution� Magnetic fields (elf)� Radon decay products

AMWU

circulated HSR March 2010

Occupational Cancer: a union guide to prevention

AMWU

� Annual H&S Booklet contains list of priority chemicals by industry

� NSW branch working on project with NSW WorkCover

� Member of Occupational & Environmental subcommittee at CCA

kNOw forum: immediate activity

Committee working on

� occupational and environmental cancers in CCA National Cancer Prevention Policy

� paper on Reducing exposure to carcinogens in Australian workplaces

� education for General Practitioners

Where to?

� Where would we like to be in ten years time?

How to get there?

� What do we need to do in the next 12 -24 months to get to where we want to be?

occupational cancer: an australian problem? cancer in the workplac… · cancer council australia...

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