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OCRC is excited to share our recent publication in the American Journal of Epidemiology!

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Impact of Interventions to Prevent Asbestos-Related Respiratory Disease in an Exposed Worker Registry Using a Simplified G-computation (February 2025)

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What’s the current landscape of asbestos use in Ontario?

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Asbestos-containing products are now banned in Canada, however, past asbestos exposure and existing asbestos-containing products continue to put Ontario workers at risk. 

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Construction workers are most frequently exposed to asbestos while working on older structures, through renovation, maintenance, and demolition. 

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When breathed in, asbestos fibers can get trapped in the lungs, causing respiratory diseases, including: mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. 

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Exposed workers may develop asbestos-related diseases at various stages of life.  

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This publication estimates the number of disease cases that can be prevented by limiting the number of hours spent working with asbestos. 

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Based on data from the Ontario Asbestos Workers Regsitry, among 26,164 workers, limiting asbestos exposure to 1 year of work would have prevented: 37 cases of asbestosis, 18 cases of mesothelioma, and 33 cases of lung cancer.

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Based on data from the Ontario Asbestos Workers Regsitry, among 26,164 workers, limiting asbestos exposure to 3 months of work would have prevented: 54 cases of asbestosis, 22 cases of mesothelioma, and 44 cases of lung cancer.

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Based on data from the Ontario Asbestos Workers Regsitry, among 26,164 workers, limiting asbestos exposure to 3 weeks of work would have prevented: 76 cases of asbestosis, 27 cases of mesothelioma, and 79 cases of lung cancer.

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Why do these findings matter? 

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Reducing asbestos exposure makes Ontario workplaces safer.  

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To learn more, check out the publication! 

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OCRC, towards a cancer-free workplace.