A special Occupational and Environmental Health Seminar will examine issues related to diesel engine exhaust hazards and exposure assessments.
In 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified diesel engine exhaust (DEE) from a probable to a definite human carcinogen. A recent report on the
Burden of Occupational Cancer in Ontario concludes some 301,000 Ontario workers, nearly five per cent of the working population, are exposed to DEE every year accounting for 170 lung and 45 bladder cancer cases. Exposed workers include miners, mechanics, drivers of diesel powered vehicles and equipment and many others working near these sources of exposure.
The report recommends upgrading or replacing old diesel engines but also identifies a significant regulatory gap in Ontario, a lack of occupational exposure limits (OEL) for whole diesel exhaust or diesel particulate matter. Exposure limits for elemental carbon, often used as a surrogate to measure the carcinogenic effect of DEE, have been implemented in Finland at an OEL of 100 µg/m
3 elemental carbon. The Finnish Institute for Occupational Health however recommends a more protective elemental carbon OEL of 20 µg/m
3 for the mining industry and 5 µg/m
3 for other workplaces.
| WHAT: |
OEH Seminar: “Is diesel equipment in the workplace safe or not?
A quantitative risk assessment for diesel engine exhaust.” Register and learn more
Dr. Roel Vermeulen
(Professor of Environmental Epidemiology and Exposome Science, Utrecht University). |
| WHEN: |
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 11:30 am - 12:30 pm |
| WHERE: |
Room 208 Health Sciences Building, (Toronto U of T), 155 College Street, or via webinar. |
| WHO: |
Open invitation.
Registration is encouraged, webinar details will be sent to those who register. |
Check out the full list of
OEH Seminar Series 2017-2018 and learn how to register. All OEH seminars are held in downtown Toronto, are free, open to the public and can be attended in person or by webinar. Seminars are held on Fridays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.
The Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) seminar series is supported by the
Dalla Lana School of Public Health,
Public Health Ontario, the
Occupational Cancer Research Centre, and the
Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease.
Contact
ocrc@occupationalcancer.ca to sign up for the OEH seminar series mailing list.
Related resources:
CAREX Canada Diesel Engine Exhaust exposure profile
Read WHSC-related articles:
Groundbreaking report focuses on occupational cancer prevention in Ontario
Cancer burden of diesel exhaust steep for exposed workers
The Workers Health & Safety Centre assists workplace parties through
training programs and
information services. WHSC offers hazard awareness training on vehicle emissions and has a hazard resource bulletin on
diesel engine exhaust. All of these resources are aimed at raising awareness about hazardous exposures and targeting prevention at the workplace level.
Call: 1-888-869-7950 and ask to speak with a training services representative
Visit:
www.whsc.on.ca
Email:
contactus@whsc.on.ca