OCCUPATIONAL CANCER: an Australian problem? Deborah Vallance AMWU

OCCUPATIONAL CANCER: an Australian problem? Deborah Vallance AMWU

Acknowledgement Ngunnawal people on whose land we stand today

Summary of presentations know cancer in the workplace Cancer Council Australia ACTU Canberra Dec 2009

Prof Lin Fritschi Western Australian Institute for Medical Research What I could do to reduce my cancer risk % mentioning Sun protection 67 Eat well 50 Regular checkups 44 Not smoke 35 Be active/healthy weight 32 Eat more fruit/veges/cereals 27 Limit alcohol 13 Reduce stress 8 Avoid chemicals/pesticides 7 Avoid passive smoking 2 Results from Queensland Cancer Risks Survey, 2004

Prof Lin Fritschi Western Australian Institute for Medical Research Estimated 5000 work-related cancers each year 11% of incident cancers in males 2% of incident cancers in females plus about 34 000 non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) 13% NMSCs in males 4% NMSCs in females

Prof Lin Fritschi Western Australian Institute for Medical Research Australian workers potentially exposed to carcinogens 20% of the workforce 1.5 million workers

Prof Lin Fritschi. Western Australian Institute for Medical Research Cancer in males Cancer in males number of cases Attributable fraction Predicted Lung 29% 1,530 Prostate 6% 630 Mesothelioma 90% 352 Bladder 14% 304 Colon 6% 265 Leukaemia 18% 264 NHL 13% 252 Melanoma 4% 192 Stomach 10% 131 Pancreas 13% 122

Prof Lin Fritschi. Western Australian Institute for Medical Research Cancer in males Attributable fraction Predicted no. Cases Mesothelioma 90% 352 Lung 29% 1,530 Nasal sinuses 24% 21 Leukaemia 18% 264 Bladder 14% 304 NHL 13% 252 Pancreas 13% 122 Brain 11% 86 Stomach 10% 131

Pam Eliason www.turi.org

Pam Eliason www.turi.org Lots of toxics Fewer toxics

Pam Eliason www.turi.org The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act 1989 Goals 50% reduction in by-product Promote the competitive advantage of Massachusetts Industry Reduce the production and use of toxic chemicals

Pam Eliason www.turi.org What Companies Must Do Report annually on amount of toxics used Conduct toxics use reduction planning every two years Pay an annual fee

Pam Eliason www.turi.org TUR Techniques Chemical Input Substitution Product Redesign Process Modification Operations and Maintenance Improvements In-Process Recycling

Pam Eliason www.turi.org What Do Companies Think? 70% identified TUR options 81% of these implemented TUR 67% saw cost savings 66% saw health and safety benefits Most valuable component of TUR Materials Accounting

Pam Eliason use www.turi.org 40% reduction by-products 70% reduction emissions 90% reduction shipped in 60% reduction

Pam Eliason www.turi.org Safer Alternatives Exist! There s No Excuse For It Drop-In Substitutes Process Changes Different Materials Emerging Opportunities

Companies have saved millions of $$ and maintain competitive advantage reductions have been significant working environment safer

Pam Eliason www.turi.org

Pam Eliason www.turi.org Use of Carcinogens Cadmium Formaldehyde 40% reduction 70% reduction Percholoroethylene 70% reduction Trichloroethylene 75% reduction

Pam Eliason www.turi.org Emissions reduction Cadmium 100% reduction Formaldehyde ~90% Perc ~99% TCE ~98%

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Primary Prevention is critical for all Canadians In 1930s, 1 in 10 Canadians could expect to develop cancer over their lifetime In 1970, the number had increased to 1 in 5 Today, 1 in 2.7 women and 1 in 2.4 men can expect to develop cancer over their lifetime Canadian Cancer Society Annual Statistics 2002 (figures age-standardized to adjust for aging population)

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Percentage Cancer due to Occupational Exposures based on WHO Exposure Models Lung Cancer 6-13 % Larynx Cancer 1-20 Nose/nasopharynx 33-46 Mesothelioma 85-90 Bladder cancer 7-19 Kidney cancer 0-2 Liver cancer 1 Skin cancer 1-6 Leukemia 1-3 Steenland et al, Am J Indust Medicine, 2003

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Worker Protection not a focus UV sunlight responsible for 1 per cent of cancers (in Canada) Smoking accounts for 29 per cent of cancers Occupational-environmental carcinogens responsible for 20 % of some cancers and 90% of asbestos related cancers But government prevention programs focus mainly on the first two causes

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Building alliances: ensure workplace cancer is part of public health focus on cancer prevention & environmental Pollution occupational health and cancer researchers, labour; regulators; cancer agencies, environmental ngo s

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Industrial Chemicals 1,2-Dichloroethane 1,3-Butadiene 1,4-Dioxane Acetaldehyde Acrylamide Acrylonitrile Benzene Bitumens Chloroform Coal-tar & pitches Creosotes Dichloromethane Epichlorohydrin Ethylbenzene

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Ethylene oxide Formaldehyde Naphthalene Nitrobenzene Polychlorinated biphenyls Styrene Tetrachloroethylene Toluene di-isocyanates Trichloroethylene Pesticides 2,4-D Chlorothalonil MCPA MCPP Pentachlorophenol

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Environmental Pollutants 1,3-Butadiene TCDD Acetaldehyde Benzene Chloroform Dichloromethane Ethylbenzene Ethylene oxide Formaldehyde PCBs Styrene Tetrachloroethylene

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist Metals Arsenic & compounds Cadmium & compounds Chromium, hexavalent Lead & compounds Nickel & compounds Pesticides 2,4-D Chlorothalonil Dichlorvos Lindane MCPA, MCPP Pentachlorophenol Others Asbestos Chlorination byproducts PAHs Particulate air pollution Magnetic fields (elf) Radon decay products

Larry Stoffman Canadian H&S activist

AMWU circulated HSR March 2010 Occupational Cancer: a union guide to prevention

AMWU Annual H&S Booklet contains list of priority chemicals by industry NSW branch working on project with NSW WorkCover Member of Occupational & Environmental subcommittee at CCA

know forum: immediate activity Committee working on occupational and environmental cancers in CCA National Cancer Prevention Policy paper on Reducing exposure to carcinogens in Australian workplaces education for General Practitioners

Where to? Where would we like to be in ten years time?

How to get there? What do we need to do in the next 12-24 months to get to where we want to be?