The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health has launched a campaign designed to generate a collaborative effort to tackle workplace cancers.
Occupational cancer is responsible for the loss of 666,000 lives a year worldwide. IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign aims to raise understanding of the causes and help businesses take preventative action.
“Occupational cancer is a hidden blight,” said IOSH’s chief executive, Jan Chmiel, at the campaign launch event on November 3rd, 2014, at the House of Commons.
Mr Chmiel added: “In our role, with 44,000 people engaged in organisations, we have access to knowledge, evidence and we have the potential to drive change.”
Campaign generates broad support
The event at Westminster was attended by organisations including Balfour Beatty, Anglian Water, the BBC, Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK.
Mr Chmiel, encouraged to see such broad-based support, underlined the need for a joined up approach to tackling workplace cancers.
“It’s only through collaboration that we’re able to really drive it forward and make it successful,” he said. “So that’s what I see as the next step. We’ve drawn together experts and some of the evidence; we have the potential to change.
“But I think the next stage is how we work effectively with other organisations to really drive the implementation. So I see today as really the first step in a long, long journey. This isn’t going to be an issue that’s solved in one evening.”
How can I get involved?
Get involved in the campaign, find out more and download free resources at: www.notimetolose.org.uk
