New Zealanders are made of tough stuff. We all know that. We love our DIY and getting stuck in. But being made of tough stuff doesn’t mean we’re not putting ourselves in danger at work.

In fact, recent studies have found that more than half of New Zealand workers are being exposed to at least one cancer-causing agent. More sobering is knowing that nearly one in three are also exposed at high levels at or above WorkSafe standards.

The New Zealand Carcinogens Survey paints a telling picture of our exposure to carcinogens and how we’re possibly not doing enough to solve the problem. In this article, you can learn more about what we’re exposing our workforce to and how we can potentially protect our workers in the future.

What Are the Most Common Cancer-Causing Substances and Exposures?

Knowing that more than half of the New Zealand workforce is exposed to carcinogens daily, you might be curious about what they are. After all, most Kiwis go to work and experience a ‘normal’ day. They aren’t intentionally or actively coming into contact with things that say ‘Warning! This will give you cancer!’

However, among the most common are:

• Asbestos

• Benzene

• Solar UV

• Shift work

• Wood dust

• Ocular UV

• Diesel engine exhaust

• Environmental tobacco smoke

• Glyphosate

• Crystalline silica

• Artificial UV

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

• Chromium VI 

Exposure to some of these carcinogens might seem unusual, but exposure can happen in ordinary working roles, such as:

• Maintaining brakes and clutches on vehicles built before 2003 (asbestos)

• Refueling vehicles with petrol (benzene)

• Working outside (solar and ocular UV)

• Working between 12am and 5am (shift work)

• Sanding wood (wood dust)

• Working near someone smoking cigarettes (environmental tobacco smoke)

• Welding and soldering (artificial UV, chromium, and PAHs)

• Working with concrete and cement (crystalline silica)

• Mixing or applying glyphosate (pesticides) 

These are just a few of the many ways in which everyday Kiwis earning a living can be putting themselves at risk of developing related cancers. If you work in some of the following industries, your risk of exposure to at least one carcinogen at any level is the highest:

• Mining

• Electricity, gas, water, and waste services

• Agriculture

• Forestry

• Fishing

• Construction

• Transport

• Postal and warehousing 

Workplace Injuries vs. Work-Related Cancer

Ask any New Zealand employer, and they’ll likely be more informed about workplace injuries than work-related cancer. They’ll understand their WorkSafe obligations regarding the health and safety of their workers. After all, we’ve all seen the stats. We know that hundreds of thousands of work-related claims are made yearly, and at least 90 are made per 1,000 full-time employees in 2021 alone.

But what about work-related cancer? WorkSafe and other organisations can’t apply the same data points to say how many people have work-related cancer. It’s much harder to investigate cancer potentially related to people’s workplaces for some of the following reasons:

• There can be a long latency period between exposure to cancer-causing agents in the workplace and a cancer diagnosis

• It’s hard to say that particular cancers are related to specific exposure events

• Most cancers aren’t related to single occupational exposure events

• There are multiple hazardous exposures in a workplace rather than one

• Lifestyle factors can contribute to cancer risks, such as smoking 

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For example, if someone was exposed to asbestos in their workplace and was later diagnosed with mesothelioma, a connection could be drawn between the two events. This is because mesothelioma is rarely diagnosed in people who haven’t been exposed to asbestos.

How Do We Battle Carcinogen Exposure to Protect New Zealand Workers?

The latest New Zealand Carcinogens Survey has shown us that we still have a long way to go before we’re providing safe working environments for all Kiwis. But identifying the problem and solving it are two different things. We may need to take a number of approaches to protect our workforce.

Data Collection

We learned about how hazardous asbestos was to our health by collecting data. We saw many people being diagnosed with lung-related illnesses and compared the similarities to draw conclusions.

Once we knew what we were dealing with, we could put steps in place to solve the problem, such as by ensuring that only trained asbestos removal professionals with PPE and licenses could handle friable asbestos. We can do the same with carcinogens. The more data we gather, the easier it might be to make informed decisions.

Investigate Non-Cancerous Alternatives

We won’t be able to phase out all cancerous products, but we can certainly explore alternatives. There’s no harm in learning if we have equally as effective products available to keep our workforce safe.

More Focus on Occupational Health

We may start seeing improvements by providing dedicated health services for occupational health. Screening and healthcare for at-risk employees is always an excellent place to begin.

Let the Battle Begin

We’ve already achieved so much in Aotearoa New Zealand to keep our employers and employees safe. That much is evident by the rigorous standards WorkSafe and other governing bodies set out.

We can do the same for carcinogen exposure. The more effort we put into combatting this problem, the safer future generations of workers might be.