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Study Finds Workplace Breast-Cancer Risks
Materials found in certain workplaces can boost the risk of breast cancer, a new study finds. HR needs to stay ahead of new information such as this -- and maintain open lines of communication with health-and-safety counterparts -- to make sure employees remain protected from harm.
Exposure to certain materials used in the workplace can increase the risk of breast cancer in women, a new study claims. The Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauve en Sante et en Securite du Travail (IRSST) in Quebec, Canada, found that women who were exposed to some organic solvents and agents before their mid-30s have an increased risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. The researchers worked with industrial hygienists and chemists to analyze the job histories and exposure to 300 worksite materials of two groups: 556 women with breast cancer and 613 women with other cancers. The women were in the age 50- to 75-year-old age group. Published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the study found that exposure to certain materials -- such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- increased the risk of breast cancer, especially when that exposure occurred before the age of 36. Polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbons are found in aluminum production, coal gasification, iron and steel foundries, tar distillation, shale-oil extraction, wood impregnation, roofing, road paving, carbon-black production, carbon-electrode production, chimney sweeping, and calcium-carbide production, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Workers may also be exposed to PAHs if they are exposed to diesel-engine exhaust in the transport industry or a related job. Compounds such as carbon black, petroleum soot and fuel engine emissions were recorded as containing polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbons. HR executives hoping to keep their workplaces safe and stay abreast of the newest research need to consult frequently with their health and safety staff -- something many large organizations have, especially if they are in an industry such as manufacturing, says David Hicks, manager of volunteer engagement at the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
"You want to make sure that your HR people have an open line of communication, on some sort of a regular basis, with their health and safety counterparts within the company," says Hicks. Edwin G. Foulke Jr., formerly the assistant secretary of labor at the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and current partner in the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips, says that, when research like this is reported, there is always a chance that an employee will call OSHA to notify them if a potentially dangerous material is used in the workplace. That may lead to an inspection, he says. There are also a "whole series of potential legal liabilities" that can emerge from having hazardous chemicals in the workplace, he says. If someone contracts breast cancer after working with the materials cited in the IRSST research, it could be considered a work-related injury, meaning a workers' comp claim can be filed. "In some states," says Foulke, "if an employee is able to show that an employer showed gross negligence or some type of willful conduct, that allows the employee to get outside of the workers' comp system and then sue as a tort liability." All companies are required to document the hazardous chemicals that enter the workplace, Foulke says. Companies should also conduct air-monitoring tests to make sure the presence of those materials is not at a hazardous level. He says it's also necessary to train employees to ensure they are aware of such chemicals so they can avoid exposure. If the exposure levels are at hazardous levels -- and the company can't ventilate sufficiently to reduce them to safe levels -- OSHA's personal protective equipment standard requires the company to provide equipment such as respirators or air supply hoods. The type of equipment depends on the severity of exposure. Rotating employees from job to job is another way to limit exposure, he says. "You can also touch base with your particular industry association," says Foulke, "they are usually monitoring those types of safety-and-health issues."
April 27, 2010 Copyright 2010© LRP Publications |
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© Copyright 2010 LRP Publications. All rights reserved.
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