OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE
There are a number of Occupational Disease resources available below, including downloadable documents and links to additional information.
CONSTRUCTION EXPOSURE PROFILES
These exposure profiles were prepared by the Occupational Cancer Research Centre in collaboration with the Ontario Building Trades Council with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC), established in 2009, is the first of its kind in Canada. The establishment of the OCRC grew out of the recognized need to re-emphasize research on the causes and prevention of occupation-related cancers after decades of diminished effort in most countries.
The OCRC will work to fill the gaps in our knowledge of occupation-related cancers and use these findings to inform preventive programs to control workplace carcinogenic (cancer-causing) exposures and improve the health of workers.
A Substantial and Unacceptable Burden
Approximately 60 occupational exposures have been classified as definite or probable human carcinogens (cancer-causing) and over a hundred more are suspected carcinogens. There are many workplace substances that cause cancer in animals that have not been carefully evaluated in humans. Occupational exposures may account for 20 to 30% of the cancers among blue collar workers.
How the OCRC Operates
The OCRC is a unique partnership that unites research, healthcare, workplace safety, labour and industry groups. It is jointly funded by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, and the Canadian Cancer Society and was developed in collaboration with the United Steelworkers. The Centre is housed at Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario). It is led by a Director, Dr. Paul Demers, and supported by a Steering Committee.
The Prevent Occupational Disease website is designed to be a valuable and trusted information clearing house about occupational disease and its prevention in the Canadian context, with some emphasis on Ontario since the project is funded through a strategic opportunity allocation from the Prevention Office of the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
The above link will take you directly to the resources for the construction sector.