Experts Expect European Workers to Face New Health Risks from Nanoparticles
Contact with a wide range of chemicals and other hazardous substances at work is endangering the health of workers across Europe, and nanotechnology is one of the risks causing most concern to experts from 21 European countries. A report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) – called Expert Forecast on Emerging Chemical Risks - identifies the main groups of substances which could pose new and increasing risks to workers. Nanoparticles are on the top.
“It is estimated that each year there are 74,000 work-related deaths linked to hazardous substances encountered in the workplace. This means that 10 times more people die from dangerous substances than from workplace accidents. Many companies do not give enough consideration to the elimination or substitution of hazardous substances. Management of chemical risks is particularly poor in SMEs and subcontractor firms”, says Jukka Takala, Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
About 15% of European workers report handling chemical products for a quarter of the time they spend at work, while 10% report inhaling vapours and 19% report breathing in dust, fumes and smoke in their workplaces.
The Expert Forecast on Emerging Chemical Risks, established by 49 experts across Europe, puts nanoparticles at the top of the list of substances from which workers need protection. Nanotechnology is used for example in cosmetics and IT products and is expected to grow rapidly into a global, multibillion euro market. While more research into the degree of damage from nanoparticles on human health is needed, sufficient information to develop interim working practices to reduce workplace exposure is available.
The risks posed by ‘nanoparticles and ultrafine particles’ are by far the strongest agreed as emerging by the experts. Applications of nanotechnology are mainly found in:
- information and communication technologies;
- environmental and energy technologies;
- transport, aviation and space;
- agriculture and nutrition;
- medical applications;
- cosmetics;
- military technologies.
Although, according to the report, the quantitative data needed for satisfactory risk assessment are still missing, sufficient information is available to begin preliminary assessment and to develop interim working practices to reduce workplace exposure. The manufacturing phase of nanomaterials as well as maintenance and clean-up of equipment used to produce NPs are known to be a source of exposure. Further research should concentrate on the complete life-cycle of a given nanomaterial in order to identify all exposure situations
and the workplaces concerned. In parallel, further research should be undertaken to guarantee the development of ‘responsible’ nanotechnology which integrates health
and safety considerations.
Combined exposures to several chemicals are the rule rather than exception and, when considering each risk independently, the true dimension is likely to be underestimated. Today concern about multiple exposures is increasing. This was also shown in EU-OSHA’s forecasts on biological, physical and psychosocial emerging risks. A larger-scale foresight study begins this year and will focus on workplace risks posed by new technologies over the next ten years.
EU-OSHA organised a seminar where the results of the forecast were discussed with EU policy-makers, social partners and OSH experts. The workshop conclusions add to the wide range of good practice information EU-OSHA offers to employers, safety and health professionals and to workers and their representatives.
Further reading
Dangerous substances at a glance
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was set up by the European Union to help meet the information needs in the field of occupational safety and health. Based in Bilbao, Spain, the Agency aims to improve the lives of people at work by stimulating the flow of technical, scientific and economic information between all those involved in occupational safety and health issues.
Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (modified)