E-learning to beat occupational cancers

The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) has announced a new e-learning course on “Occupational Cancers”, designed to help the cindustry’s workforce to improve its understanding of risks and how to mitigate them.

With 40% of all deaths from occupational cancers arising within the construction industry, the United Kingdom-based CCS says the need to support the workforce in this area has never been so important.

The main causes of occupational cancers in construction are exposure to silica dust, asbestos, diesel exhaust emissions and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Workers in construction are 100 times more likely to die from an occupational disease than a workplace accident and six times more likely to develop skin cancer than the general population.

The e-learning module is freely available to the entire construction industry via the scheme’s Best Practice Hub. It follows the successful series of e-learning courses on issues such as Air Pollution, Drugs and Alcohol and Mental Health.

More than 50,000 people working in construction have taken the courses so far.

“There is no doubt that the shocking number of deaths and long-term illnesses caused by significant exposure to carcinogens in the workplace needs greater attention by everyone,” said CEO Edward Hardy.

“We must continue to improve our standards in how we raise awareness and understanding of the risks and how to take measures to, where possible eliminate them, or at the very least minimise them.