by jbs040209e3 — April 8, 2009—Contact with a wide range of chemicals and other hazardous substances at work is endangering the health of workers across Europe, and nanotechnology is one of the risks causing most concern to experts from 21 European countries, according to a new report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
Expert Forecast on Emerging Chemical Risks identifies the main groups of substances which could pose new and increasing risks to workers, contributing to diseases which range from allergies, asthma, and infertility to cancers. Dangerous substances are not only found in the chemical industry, but also in occupations such as waste management, nursing, cleaning, construction, and in many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
“It is estimated that each year there are 74,000 work-related deaths linked to hazardous substances encountered in the workplace. This means that 10 times more people die from dangerous substances than from workplace accidents. Many companies do not give enough consideration to the elimination or substitution of hazardous substances. Management of chemical risks is particularly poor in SMEs and subcontractor firms,” says Jukka Takala, Director of EU-OSHA.
About 15% of European workers report handling chemical products for a quarter of the time they spend at work, while 10% report inhaling vapors and 19% report breathing in dust, fumes, and smoke in their workplaces. Combined exposures to several chemicals are the rule rather than exception and, when considering each risk independently, the true dimension is likely to be underestimated, notes EU-OSHA.
The report includes best practice information EU-OSHA offers to employers, safety and health professionals, and to workers and their representatives. A larger-scale foresight study begins this year and will focus on workplace risks posed by new technologies over the next ten years.
