Carcinogens in the workplace are to blame for about 5000 cancers each year, according to an article published in the Medical Journal of Australia this week.
Medical experts says not enough is being done to look into the cancer-causing agents present in workplaces and reduce their effects, but at the same time Professor Lin Fritschi and co-authors said it was difficult to estimate the exact number of cases that could be attributed to cancer-causing agents in the workplace.
“Work-related cancer attracts considerable public and media attention, but has received limited attention from researchers and policymakers in Australia, particularly in comparison to other cancers, such as those related to tobacco use and sun exposure,” the authors write.
The authors advise Australian health and occupational bodies must study who is being exposed to carcinogens, the industries in which they occur and the concentration and frequency of exposures.
Currently, they say not enough workers are being informed of the risks, and that legitimate compensation cases are not being pursued by cancer sufferers. “In addition, audits and reviews should be instigated to determine what is being done to introduce best practice to Australia,” they said.
