This week, Louise Hosking, IOSH vice-president, spoke at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin about the objectives of ‘No Time to Lose’, IOSH’s campaign to beat occupational cancer, and how it is helping to save lives.

The talk took place during European Week for Safety and Health at Work (22 – 28 October), which aims to raise awareness of the importance of active, participative workplace safety and health management across Europe.

IOSH and the Health and Safety Authority are collaborating to support the EU-OSHA Safety week campaign, 2018-19, titled ‘Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances’.

The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the risks posed by dangerous substances in the workplace and ways employers can protect their workers.

IOSH’s ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign reduces exposure to harmful substances in the world’s workplaces by providing businesses with free practical resources to help them take action. 

In the European Union, at least 10,000 people a year die from mesothelioma – a fatal cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

The campaign is helping businesses engage and inform the workforce by providing resources including a factsheet, pocket card, posters, real life stories, a good practice case study, presentations and flowcharts. 

Louise Hosking said: “Occupational cancer claims at least 742,000 lives a year globally – that’s one death every 43 seconds. However, these cancers are all preventable.

“Since launching ‘No Time to Lose’ in November 2014, over 250 organisations across 33 countries are supporting the campaign and have raised awareness of work cancer. More than 100 leading businesses worldwide have signed up to the pledge to tackle occupational cancer risks in their workplace.

“We would like to encourage even more organisations to make a pledge which outlines their strategy for protecting their workers and those in their supply chains from harmful exposures – there really is ‘No Time to Lose’.”

Louise’s presentation followed an address from Michelle McDermott, Health and Safety Authority Inspector with the Chemicals and Prevention section, which addressed the Chemical Agents Regulation, 2001 & 2015. It covered practical measures needed to identify hazards associated with dangerous substances and methods for risk assessment and implementation of identified controls.

The event also provided an opportunity for attendees to expand their knowledge, to network with other professionals and develop their CPD.