Stop Cancer at Work Campaign Press Release

Today a broad coalition of professional organisations, trades unions and patient groups are launching the Stop Cancer at Work Campaign to ensure that the current fourth revision of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD) includes groups of carcinogenic and mutagenic hazardous drugs, which cause cancer, and that have not been included by the European Commission in its proposal published on 22 September 2020.

Cancer is the leading cause of work-related deaths in the EU, with over 120,000 cancer work-related cases recorded each year according to EU-OSHA*. From nurses to cleaners to fire fighters, millions of workers across the EU are being put at risk by being exposed to deadly carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances in their place of work. Stop Cancer at Work aims to eradicate occupational exposure to deadly substances and put an end to work-related deaths caused by cancer and other health problems, such as miscarriages, at work.
The Campaign is focused on getting the European Commission, European Parliament and Council to act to stop cancer at work by including in the CMD carcinogenic cytotoxic drugs which cause cancer, such as leukaemia, in healthcare workers and patients in Appendix I, and reprotoxins, which harm all workers’ fertility, in the title of the CMD.

To read the full press release see below.