Bilbao, Spain — When carcinogens are current within the office, “employers must do everything in their power to prevent workers from coming into contact with them,” the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work says.
Providing data to assist forestall employee publicity to carcinogens is the purpose of the company’s new website: S.T.O.P. Carcinogens at Work.
A latest EU-OSHA survey discovered that photo voltaic ultraviolet radiation, diesel engine exhaust emissions, benzene, respirable crystalline silica and formaldehyde are probably the most frequent exposures that put European staff at danger for most cancers. The new website lists steps to curb office exposures. They embody:
- List all carcinogens used and their portions.
- Gather their Safety Data Sheets.
- Identify staff who’re doubtlessly topic to publicity and for the way lengthy.
The website has recommendations on offering employee instruction and particulars the “STOP” precept, which describes the order of precedence of protecting measures. Employers “must observe this order of priority when determining and applying protective measures”:
S – Substitution. Replace harmful substances with much less harmful processes or substances.
T – Technical measures. Strategies to scale back exposures can embody utilizing closed programs and efficient air suction.
O – Organizational measures. Only for use to supply extra safety, these embody inner insurance policies or organizational strategies. These additionally ought to be thought of for emergencies and staff who carry out common upkeep and cleansing duties.
P – Personal safety. This applies when substitution isn’t attainable and technical and organizational measures aren’t sufficient.
