Investigation rules out increased risk of occupational cancer

An investigation has revealed that employees at an industrial factory in Scotland are not at risk of contracting any work-related diseases such as occupational cancer.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Institute of Occupational Medicine have carried out a joint study on a plant owned by National Semiconductors UK (NSUK) in the port town of Greenock, which is located around 20 miles away from Glasgow.

It found that earlier concerns over whether the plant was putting its workers in danger of contracting cancer were unfounded. These worries were based on a report published by the HSE in 2001, which stated that there was a possibility this could be the case.

However, the latest inquiry scrutinised these assertions more closely and concluded that the number of employees with cancer is within the range expected for this sort of workforce.

Dr John Osman of the HSE said the "robust" research "does not establish a link between cancer and employment at NSUK".

Posted by Helen Jones
 

26/08/2010 15:37