Exposure to Carcinogens and Work-Related Cancer: a Review of Assessment Methods
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European Agency for Safety and Health at Work ISSN: 1831-9343 Exposure to carcinogens and work-related cancer: A review of assessment methods European Risk Observatory Report Exposure to carcinogens and work-related cancer: A review of assessment measures Authors: Dr Lothar Lißner, Kooperationsstelle Hamburg IFE GmbH Mr Klaus Kuhl (task leader), Kooperationsstelle Hamburg IFE GmbH Dr Timo Kauppinen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health Ms Sanni Uuksulainen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health Cross-checker: Professor Ulla B. Vogel from the National Working Environment Research Centre in Denmark Project management: Dr Elke Schneider - European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers, or these calls may be billed. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet ( 48TU http://europa.euU48T). Cataloguing data can be found on the cover of this publication. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2014 ISBN: 978-92-9240-500-7 doi: 10.2802/33336 Cover pictures: (clockwise): Anthony Jay Villalon (Fotolia); ©Roman Milert (Fotolia); ©Simona Palijanskaite; ©Kari Rissa © European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2014 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – EU-OSHA 1 Exposure to carcinogens and work-related cancer: A review of assessment measures Table of Contents List of tables and figures ......................................................................................................................... 4 Glossary.................................................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Risk factors for cancer and occupational exposure to carcinogens ..................................................... 10 Sources of data on occupational exposure to carcinogens .................................................................. 14 Occupational exposure to carcinogens ................................................................................................ 16 Conventional and new approaches to the assessment and prevention of occupational cancer ......... 18 Policies and strategies .......................................................................................................................... 19 Conclusions and recommendations ..................................................................................................... 20 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 23 References ........................................................................................................................................... 32 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 36 2. Risk factors for work-related cancer and occupational exposure to carcinogens ..................... 37 2.1. Risk factors ................................................................................................................................ 37 2.1.1. Chemical risk factors ........................................................................................................... 37 2.1.2. Environmental tobacco smoke ............................................................................................ 39 2.1.3. New and emerging chemical risks ...................................................................................... 39 2.1.4. Biological risk factors .......................................................................................................... 42 2.1.5. Radiation ............................................................................................................................. 42 2.1.6. Emerging physical risks ...................................................................................................... 42 2.1.7. Shift work that involves circadian disruption ....................................................................... 43 2.1.8. Other work organisational factors ....................................................................................... 43 2.1.9. Sedentary work ................................................................................................................... 44 2.1.10. Socioeconomic status ..................................................................................................... 44 2.1.11. Summary: overview of cancer risk factors ...................................................................... 44 2.2. Data sources for occupational exposure to carcinogens........................................................... 51 2.2.1. National registers on occupational exposure to carcinogens ............................................. 51 2.2.2. Exposure measurement databases .................................................................................... 56 2.2.3. Information systems on carcinogen exposure .................................................................... 59 2.2.4. Other information systems including estimates on occupational exposure to carcinogens ......................................................................................................................... 73 2.2.5. Non-chemical carcinogens .................................................................................................. 81 2.2.6. Vulnerable groups ............................................................................................................... 84 3. New approaches to the assessment and prevention of occupational cancer ........................... 87 3.1. Further developments and uses of exposure measurements and estimates............................ 87 3.1.1. Information on exposure trends and prediction of future exposures: the FINJEM- based trend study ............................................................................................................... 87 European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – EU-OSHA 2 Exposure to carcinogens and work-related cancer: A review of assessment measures 3.1.2. Occupational exposure profiles based on job–exposure matrices ..................................... 89 3.1.3. Distribution by exposure level: WOODEX – International information system on occupational exposure to wood dust .................................................................................. 90 3.1.4. Identification and prevention of high exposures: Finnish ‘Dirty dozen’ project ................... 93 3.1.5. Estimating exposure to occupational carcinogens in Australia (2011–12) ......................... 94 3.2. Identification of groups at risk through disease data ................................................................. 95 3.2.1. Identifying occupations at risk: Nordic Occupational Cancer Study ................................... 95 3.2.2. Occupational Cancer Monitoring (OCCAM) ........................................................................ 98 3.2.3. Validating exposure histories and identifying vulnerable groups: the GISCOP study ........ 99 4. Encouraging the principles of workplace prevention in legislation .......................................... 101 4.1. International Labour Organisation conventions and recommendations .................................. 101 4.1.1. International Labour Organisation conventions ................................................................ 101 4.1.2. International Labour Organisation recommendation ........................................................ 101 4.2. European occupational safety and health legislation .............................................................. 103 4.2.1. Occupational exposure limit values .................................................................................. 105 4.2.2. European Schedule of Occupational Diseases ................................................................ 108 4.3. European Union chemicals legislation: REACH ...................................................................... 109 4.3.1. Registration under REACH ............................................................................................... 109 4.3.2. Authorisation and restriction under REACH ..................................................................... 109 4.3.3. Derived no-effect levels required under REACH .............................................................. 111 4.4. Other regulations ..................................................................................................................... 112 4.4.1. Tobacco smoke ................................................................................................................. 112 4.5. Principles of workplace prevention .......................................................................................... 113 4.5.1. The importance of the precautionary principle .................................................................. 113