To mark World Lung Cancer Day on the 1st August, The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) encouraged businesses to use its free ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign materials to raise awareness among employees of lung cancer caused by work and to help prevent new cases.
‘No Time to Lose’ highlights workplace carcinogens such as diesel fumes, silica dust and solar radiation, which can cause cancer, and provides businesses with free practical materials to tackle these risks.
World Lung Cancer Day, commemorates and supports those impacted by lung cancer, and aims to raise awareness about the disease and its global impact.
In the European Union (EU), there are nearly 4,700 cases of lung cancer and more than 4,200 deaths each year linked to diesel exhaust fumes exposure at work.
In Britain, exposure to diesel fumes in the workplace claims 650 people every year, with around 800 new cases registered annually.
Lung cancer caused by silica dust (most often associated with construction activities) kills nearly 800 people a year in Britain, with an estimated 5 million people exposed to silica dust in the workplace throughout the EU.
The next phase of the No Time to Lose campaign will focus on raising awareness of the biggest cause of occupational cancer – asbestos – and will be launched next year.
To sign up to IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign pledge and get free resources to manage diesel fumes and silica dust at work, go to www.notimetolose.org.uk.
By Mark Worsnop, Safety Advisor
