OSHA-EU:  Occupational cancer risk factors in Europe – first findings of the Workers’ Exposure Survey 

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has undertaken a vast Workers’ Exposure Survey (WES) on cancer risk factors in Europe involving more than 24,000 workers in six EU Member States: Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Hungary and Finland. In total, just over 47% of these workers were exposed, during their previous working week, to at least one risk factor from among the 24 listed in the survey (which does not include night-time working). 25.8% of workers are exposed to several factors. The main risks are exposure to: UV solar radiation (20.8%); diesel engine exhaust emissions (19%); benzene (13%); respirable crystalline silica (8.4%) and formaldehyde (6.4%). These results are important in the context of the future amendment proposals to the carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic substances at work directive.