The iWorld

World Day for Safety and Health at Work

At least 200 000 people every year die due to cancer that's caused due to their workplace conditions as reported by WHO. World Day for Safety and Health at Work day is right here on Saturday.

Asbestos is a mineral which was very frequently used as a fireproof and insulating agent - until the extreme health risks, including mesothelioma and asbestosis, were discovered.

Precautionary, one should wear full-face respirators and Tyvek suits while entering Asbestos zones.

WHO reports that there are millions of workers all around the world that run the risk of developing cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma ( malignant cancer affecting internal lining in the chest cavity) from inhaling asbestos fibres and due to tobacco smoke. People also catch leukemia from exposure to benzene at their workplaces. WHO projects that all this risks for occupational cancer are preventable.

WHO has reported that every tenth lung cancer death is closely related to risks in the workplace. Lung cancer, mesothelioma, & bladder cancer , all of these cancer conditions are among the most common types of occupational cancers.

In the present times, most of the cancer deaths take place due to occupational risk factors occur in the developed world. This is a result of the wide use of different carcinogenic substances including blue asbestos, 2-naphthylamine and benzene 20-30 years ago.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np19/en/index.html