Urgent call to better protect Australian workers from occupational cancers

It’s estimated that around 5000 cancers a year in Australia can be attributed to occupational exposure to carcinogens.

Professor Lin Fritschi, of the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, and coauthors are calling for a more effective process to identify occupational carcinogens, to inform workers about potential risks and to reduce the use of chemicals in industry.

“There are very good systems internationally which could be considered for use here in Australia to help reduce the risk of workplace exposure to carcinogens,” Professor Fritschi said.

“While some work has been done, there has been little progress in Australia’s regulatory approach to occupational carcinogen exposure. Australia should not lag behind international best practice in reducing exposure to carcinogens.”

Improved data collection to enable a more accurate assessment of the extent of workplace exposure was also needed.

“To prioritise preventive activity, it will be essential to collect data on the number of workers in Australia who are exposed to carcinogens, what industries they are in, and the concentration and frequency of exposures”.

According to the authors, general practitioners and other relevant clinicians also needed to know how to take a thorough occupational exposure history, and to improve their confidence in identifying whether cancers may be occupationally caused so that potentially legitimate compensation cases could be pursued.

“Poor awareness of exposure to occupational carcinogens and lack of attribution of cancer to occupational causes among both the clinical and general community limits opportunities to reduce the likelihood and extend of exposure”, they wrote.

The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.

The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA or the MJA unless that is so stated.

CONTACTS:                    Prof Lin Fritschi                              08 9346 1061

                                    Ms Carolyn Monaghan                   0448 021 932
                                    Communication Manager
                                    Western Australian Institute for Medical Research

                                    Ms Bridget Egan                           0412 005 222
                                    Media Department, The Cancer Council of Western Australia