As many as 80,000 cancer deaths a year are attributed to work with carcinogenic substances in the EU according to the EU Roadmap on carcinogens. To prevent these and other occupational illnesses arising from exposure to dangerous substances, DuPont Sustainable Solutions has partnered with EU-OSHA in the 2018-2019 Healthy Workplaces campaign, “Manage Dangerous Substances”.
The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of putting a stop to risks arising from dangerous substances and to dispel common misunderstandings. It is, for instance, not only substances labelled as hazardous that pose a threat to human health, but also more common substances such as flour in bakeries or silica dust on construction site, if they are not managed correctly. The campaign also intends to promote more effective risk assessments and prevention, provide a better understanding of the risks associated with exposure to carcinogens at work, and inform companies and workers of legislation that is in place to protect them.
“DuPont has a more than 200-year long history of managing dangerous substances,” says Cédric Parentelli, Managing Director for Europe and North Africa at DuPont Sustainable Solutions. “That is why we became involved in developing the 1991 Us osha regulation 1910.119 which governs the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals. We are delighted now to put our expertise at the service of EU-OSHA to help companies identify, understand and prevent the risks posed by dangerous substances. As a 50-year-old operations and safety management consulting firm, we know that all injuries and occupational illnesses are preventable, if tackled in the right way.”
Alongside campaign partners that include the European Safety Federation, the European Work Hazards Network, the Council of European Employers of the Metal, Engineering and Technology-based Industries and ISHCCO, DuPont Sustainable Solutions will work with EU-OSHA to develop information materials, share best practices, organize workshops and conferences that will enable companies to put in place better risk prevention measures to protect workers who come into contact with dangerous substances.
Christa Sedlatschek, EU-OSHA Director explains: “Many workers are unaware of the threat that contact with substances not labelled as hazardous can pose to their health. Our campaign seeks to inform them of all the risks posed by dangerous substances, not just the obvious ones, and to highlight the critical importance of risk assessment as a first step towards injury and ill health prevention. We value collaboration with campaign partners like DuPont Sustainable Solutions in making this campaign a success.”
