kNOw cancer risks at work

Industry experts, OH&S professionals and academics gathered in Sydney in May 2015, for the ‘kNOw your cancer risks at work’ forum, hosted by Cancer Council Australia.

The event focused on occupational cancer risks within Australia and abroad, namely those associated with diesel engine exhaust, asbestos, pesticides, firefighting and shift work. Other topics included the burden of occupational cancer, epidemiology, workplace cancer clusters, exposure modelling and the Australian WHS regulatory framework.

Below is a selection of filmed presentations from the day.

Our thanks to Safe Work Australia, who sponsored the filming of presentations.

Occupational cancer in Europe - working towards solutions

Professor John Cherrie discusses occupational cancer trends in the UK and Europe and new interventions to help decrease the workplace cancer burden. As well as a perspective on the role of legislation, he highlights new awareness campaigns being used to increase Europeans’ understanding of workplace cancer risks. Watch the talk here

Occupational exposure to carcinogens in Australia

Terry Slevin provides an overview of a new report launched at the forum, examining workers’ compensation claims in Australia. He suggests that less than 10 per cent of Australians who have developed cancer as a result of their work have been compensated and more needs to be done to ensure proper compensation. Watch the talk here

Constructively dealing with concerns about cancer clusters

Claims around cancer clusters are often contentious and complex. Professor Tim Driscoll draws on his experience dealing with cancer cluster investigations and the media interest they attract to outline how concerns should be dealt with constructively and effectively. Watch the talk here

Australian national strategic plan for asbestos management.

At the kNOw Asbestos conference Peter Tighe spoke about The National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Management and Awareness and how the plan aims to prevent exposure to asbestos fibres in order to eliminate asbestos related disease in Australia. Watch the talk here

Renovating or demolishing? Some guidance on how to mitigate exposing yourself and those around you to asbestos

Bret Baker provides an overview of key steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure when renovating or demolishing, as well as common misconceptions and mistakes. Watch the talk here

Asbestos awareness research

In early 2014, the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) commissioned researchers at Colmar Brunton to research Australians’ awareness, attitudes and behaviours towards asbestos. James Wunsch provides insights from the findings. Watch the talk here

Lifetime risk of lung cancer in Australian workers

Occupational exposure to substances known to cause lung cancer has been found to be common in Australia, with approximately 2.9 million workers estimated to be exposed in 2012. Dr Renee Carey outlines the results of a study showing exposures that contribute most to the overall future burden of occupational lung cancer. Watch the talk here

Health impacts of particulate matter in diesel emissions

Dr Neil Hime discusses the scientific evidence of the health effects associated with exposure to particulate matter air pollution in diesel exhaust emissions, with a focus on cancer. Watch the talk here

Firefighters' compensation and presumptive legislation

Nicola Quinn provides a general context and background on principles of workers’ compensation in Australia, followed by a discussion about moves towards introducing specific compensation measures for firefighters. Watch the talk here

Occupational cancer: What are the rules we are playing by and do they need reform?

The frameworks, regulation and legislation governing workplace risk in Australia are complex. Dr Deborah Vallance provides an overview, and discusses and the challenges they create. Dr Vallance argues that a new system is required moving forward. Watch the talk here

This page was last updated on: Friday, October 21, 2016