New DGUV information portal on carcinogenic substances
The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) has launched a new Internet portal with a wealth of useful information on handling carcinogenic hazardous substances.
According to the German Society for the Prevention of Accidents (DGUV), around 70 percent of all deaths as a result of an occupational disease involve cancer. However, the cause is not always due to years of working with hazardous substances. In the modern working world, too, contact with carcinogenic substances occurs again and again every day.
Keeping the overview
According to DGUV statistics, there were 1754 deaths in Germany in 2021 as a result of cancer. However, in order to be able to deal effectively with carcinogenic substances at all, the legally required risk assessments must have taken place. As a rule, this is often a challenge for small and medium-sized companies. The motto is: help people to help themselves, because first there must be clarity as to whether such substances are involved and the necessary need for action must be evaluated.
The Portal can be a useful aid in obtaining information on the detailed descriptions of hazardous substances. For individual carcinogenic substances or groups of substances, the information is also well summarized in tabular form. Current figures and the exposure levels at workplaces are listed, for example. According to the DGUV, the existing content will be expanded gradually. A separate section also contains some tips on dealing with carcinogenic substances.
Source: DGUV/IFA, editorial office
