2023-06-09 04:24:09
In France, 11% of employees, i.e. 2.7 million people, were exposed to at least one carcinogenic chemical product in 2017. These estimates result from the Dares survey Medical surveillance of employee exposure to occupational risks (Sumer) , the Department of Studies and Statistics of the Ministry of Labour. The latter identifies employee exposure to 94 chemicals, 28 of which are classified as proven or probable carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and/or by the European Union.
Diesel exhaust first exposure factors
For each employee questioned, the occupational physicians focused on the last week worked. The survey differentiated between direct exposure to certain products generated by the work process, such as fumes given off by metallurgy, and indirect exposure linked to pollution in the environment close to the workstation.
The five carcinogenic chemicals to which employees were most exposed are, in descending order, diesel exhaust gases, welding fumes, whole mineral oils, wood dust and crystalline silica, used in glassware, foundry, chemicals and construction.
Skilled workers are overexposed
Workers represent more than two-thirds of employees affected by at least one chemical carcinogen, whereas they constitute only 29% of all employees. Skilled workers were more exposed than unskilled workers (35% versus 17%). The most affected sector of activity is construction, followed by industry, agriculture and then the tertiary sector.
Employees of small establishments (less than 10 employees) were more frequently exposed. “Formalized prevention policies were less developed there than in large establishments”, analyzes the Dares. In more than half (56%) of the exposure situations which concerned small establishments, there was no collective protection made available, she underlines.
More men than women
Nine out of ten employees exposed to at least one carcinogenic chemical agent are men. 19% of them were affected by this risk, compared to 3% of female employees. The proportion of employees exposed fell with age: it was greater than or equal to 12% for those under 39, while it was 8% for those aged 60 or over.
Temporary workers and agents with statuses (SNCF, electricity and gas industries, etc.) are particularly affected, ahead of apprentices and temporary workers, whose work is more often at risk.
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