Each year on 4 February, World Health Organization and International Agency for Research on Cancer supports Union for International Cancer Control to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer.

World Cancer Day 2016-2018 is taking place under the tagline “We can. I can.” This triennial campaign aims to maximize efforts to reduce the scale and effects of this disease. It is an opportunity to reflect on how cancer affects each individual in a variety of ways and how collectively and individually we can take action to reduce the impact of cancer on individuals, families and communities.

Workplaces and cancer

Exposure to carcinogens in workplaces might be part of the problem. Carcinogens are present in many work environments and are somewhat trivialized, as their effects occur several years after the start of exposure. Yet occupational cancers can be avoided by reducing exposure to carcinogens in the workplace.

Are there carcinogens in your workplace? It's time to act! Is an awareness document produced in order to take stock of the issue of work-related cancers. It describes a process for identifying the carcinogens present in work environments, assessing the risks, and implementing appropriate prevention measures. The document is also cataloguing the resources available for undertaking this process in the specific context of Québec.

A Writable Action Plan  and a Fact Sheet - Carcinogens in workplaces are available for workers’ use on the IRSST’s website.