A two-year information and cooperation project, led by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, was launched on 24 April to raise awareness of hazardous substances in the working environment. In Estonia, special attention will be paid to carcinogens, which are the cause of most fatal occupational diseases in the European Union.

According to Labour Inspectorate Director-General Maret Maripuu, there are more hazardous substances in the work environment than we can see. "Hazardous substances can be found in almost all workplaces, from dust and cleaning products to asbestos and diesel pollution," she said. "While in the case of a workplace accident, the problematic outcome is immediately visible to us, illness caused by workplace contamination may not show up until years later," Maripuu added.

According to the head of the oncology department at Ida-Tallinn Central Hospital, Dr Kristiina Oyamaa, cancer usually develops over a long period of time and it is important that people take care of their own health. "An adult spends a lot of time at work and therefore the working environment has a big impact on health," she confirmed. "It is a well-known fact that tobacco causes lung cancer, but there are many other dangers. In hot weather it is not uncommon to see road workers working in the scorching sun. As a doctor, it pains me to see this because they don't even use sunscreen, let alone protective clothing," added Dr Oyamaa.

According to Peep Petterson, chairman of the Estonian Central Trade Union Union Union, based on European statistics, it can be said that around 500 people in Estonia are diagnosed with work-related illnesses every year. "We have about 70 occupational diseases a year, but there are no cancer diagnoses among them," he is surprised. Peterson urges workers to demand that companies carry out a risk analysis and that they have the necessary and appropriate personal protective equipment and use it. "I strongly encourage workers to make sure that they inform their employers if there is even the slightest suspicion that the work environment is unsafe," Peterson added.

According to the employers' representative, Mait Palts, Director General of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the results of a recent Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey show that awareness of hazardous substances in the workplace is rather low. "85% employers want more information about this and also consider it important to raise awareness among employees. This suggests that the time is right to discuss this topic, because there is certainly interest and willingness to do so," he explained.

About the campaign: A two-year information and cooperation project of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) was launched on 24 April and will run simultaneously in more than 30 countries. The aim of the awareness-raising work is to draw people's attention to the hidden risks of hazardous substances in the work environment. More information on the campaign: www.healthy-workplaces.eu/et