The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) made the joint plea to mark #WorldLungCancerDay, which took place on yesterday (1 August).
In Britain alone, asbestos-related cancer kills 5,000 people every year, with silica dust claiming 800 lives and diesel engine exhaust emissions taking the lives of more than 600.
IOSH has developed several free practical resources for companies looking to act, as part of its No Time to Lose campaign.
More than 100 leading businesses from around the world have already signed-up to IOSH’s No Time to lose pledge, including Laing O’Rourke, MTR Corporation Ltd and JMS Mining Services.
“Occupation-related lung cancer is preventable,” said IOSH President, Craig Foyle.
“IOSH has developed a range of resources, from factsheets explaining how to develop a prevention strategy to toolbox talks, leaflets and posters to help engage and educate the workforce.
“We’re also encouraging businesses worldwide to sign-up to our pledge to protect employees from carcinogenic exposures. The pledge is a six-step action plan which captures what organisations are doing, or planning to do, to tackle harmful exposures.
“I encourage businesses to get involved in the campaign on World Lung Cancer Day as there really is ‘No Time to Lose’.”
The co-founder of ADAO, Linda Reinstein, added:“The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) supports the great efforts of IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign to prevent occupational cancer by providing businesses with free practical resources to take action.
“By working together, we can raise awareness and save lives from asbestos-related cancer.”
In addition, the trade union Unite has called for a “full and transparent investigation” after an asbestos exposure incident at the Bridge of Don Academy in Aberdeen.
The deadly material was discovered during maintenance work at the school last month when workers removed a panel.
“There is great concern that the workers could be contaminated with a potentially dangerous substance and if the full health and safety procedures relating to suspected asbestos exposure were not followed by management then these workers have left the site and run the risk of contaminating other workers and members of the public,” said Unite regional officer, Tommy Campbell.
“Unite is demanding that a full and transparent investigation should be carried out by the HSE given the number of serious complaints the union has made over the past year to Aberdeen City Council.”
A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said it could not comment further at present as its investigation into the incident is ongoing.
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
