Occupational exposure and Cancer : perspectives from the trade unions

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Occupational exposure and Cancer perspectives
from the trade unions

• Tony Musu
• European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)
• HEAL workshop Cancer Prevention the Environment
• Brussels, 2 December 2008

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European Trade Union Confederation
ETUC is the European social partner representing
workers The Treaty of Maastricht (1992)
guarantees this formal status Together with the
employers, it is involved in consultation in
areas such as employment, social affairs,
macroeconomic, industrial and regional policy.

• 81 member organisations
• 36 European countries
• 12 industry federations
• 60 million workers

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Data on cancers in the EU ?

• New cases of cancer gt 2 million/year
  (IARC,2006)
• Cancer mortality gt 1 million/year (IARC,2006)
• In the EU, 23 of the workforce exposed to
  carcinogens on a daily basis (Carex)
• Occupational cancer 8 . Probably higher
  among male workers (ETUI, 2007)
• Occupational cancer main cause of working
  conditions-related deaths in Europe (ETUI, 2007)

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The fraction of cancers attributable to a
work-related cause varies by type of cancer
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An unequal burden of disease
Les expositions aux produits cancérogènes, DARES,
juillet 2005
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Most widespread carcinogens at work

• Solar radiation
• Passive smoking
• Crystalline silica
• Diesel engine exhausts
• Radon
• Wood dust
• Lead and its inorganic compounds
• Benzene
• Asbestos
• Formaldehyde
• Chromium VI

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Occupational cancer the Cinderella disease

• Public health policy focused on individual
  factors
• Concealment of existing information by the
  Industry (eg asbestos vinyl chloride scandals)
• Long lag time between exposure and disease
• Cancers are multifactoral diseases and working
  conditions are often ignored by doctors

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The EU legislation on carcinogens

• Two categories
• Marketing of carcinogens
• Workers protection
• The Carcinogens Directive (2004/37/EC)
• Hierarchy of obligations for employers
  elimination, replacement, control
• Binding Occupational Exposure Limit Values
  benzene, hardwood dust, vinyl chloride monomer

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The revision of the Carcinogens directive

• initiated in 2004
• ETUC response to Commissions consultation
• Extension to reprotoxins
• Updated BOELVs
• New OELVs crystalline silica, softwood dust
• Recent news Commission refuses to extend the
  scope of the directive to reprotoxins

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REACH and carcinogens

• Registration
• CMR gt 1t/y
• Chemical safety report gt10 t/y
• Authorisation
• CMRs of class 1 or 2 risk  adequately
  controlled 
• Health Vs socio-economic benefits
•  substitution principle  mandatory in the
  Carcinogens directive, not in REACH !

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TU involvement agenda

• REACH, an opportunity for a new start
• Synergies between REACH OSH legislation
• Workers involvement for Substitution
• Make occupational cancers more visible to the
  authorities
• Better recognition and compensation
• Revision of the Carcinogens Directive
• Global ban on asbestos stop last EU derogation

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Thank you for your attention ! Further info
http//hesa.etui-rehs.org gtDossiers gt
Chemicals http//hesa.etui-rehs.org gtDossiers gt
Occupational cancers Publication Occupational
cancer, The Cinderella disease by Marie-Anne
Mengeot, ETUI, 2007 (52 pages)