Controlling occupational exposure to carcinogens is an important step towards reducing the burden of occupational cancer. The Hierarchy of Controls is often used as a guide for implementing exposure control strategies [1]. It ranks control strategies from most effective (elimination or substitution) to least effective (personal protective equipment). An effective control program uses multiple controls from across the Hierarchy, and often includes monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of the control program.
The sections below lay out some of the control strategies available for key exposures that contribute the most to the burden of occupational cancer in Canada: asbestos, diesel engine exhaust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, radon, second-hand smoke, shiftwork, silica, solar UV radiation, and welding fumes.
For more information, read the Burden of Occupational Cancer in Ontario report.
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IARC updated its classification process, which evaluates potential carcinogens based on the likelihood that they can cause cancer, in 2019.