Does My Job Put Me At Risk Of Cancer?

Oct 14

3 min read

We all like to think that cancer is random, and that it could never happen to us. And while a lot of cancer is random, there are some things that can affect it. Some jobs, for example, mean that you have a higher risk of certain types of cancer, which means you need to understand what the risk increase is, and how you can mitigate it.

What Types of Job Might Increase Cancer Risk

People in certain jobs may have a slightly higher risk of cancer, depending on what they come into contact with. The most well-known is people who work around asbestos, which has been well documented as causing a specific type of cancer caused mesothelioma. But there are other substances, like silica dust, petrol, and diesel engine exhaust that increase the risk too. Types of work that can increase your risk of cancer include:

Construction and painting
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Manufacturing and mining
Petrol refinery
Transport and distribution
Firefighting

Believe it or not, coming into contact with harmful things at work is responsible for around 4- 5% cancer cases in the UK every year. But it’s important to remember that a lot of these cases come from past higher exposure levels to risky substances, often from when Health and safety legislation was much less comprehensive. It absolutely doesn't mean that you'll definitely get cancer if you've been exposed to something that increases your risk. Modern health and safety rules are designed to protect people at work, and prevent or lower exposure to anything that’s known to cause cancer.

What Increases Risk?

Asbestos: Asbestos is made of tiny fibres, and it was historically used to insulate buildings. It was banned in the UK in 1999, but there are a fair number of older properties still have it installed. Breathing in asbestos fibres that have been disturbed can cause mesothelioma (which is an aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs) as well as cancer of the lungs, voice box and even the ovaries. Cancer caused by asbestos usually takes a long time (over 20 years) to develop, and being exposed doesn't mean you'll get cancer.

Hazardous substances: This covers any chemicals, materials or matter that may be harmful to humans. They all have various effects, and some of them can increase your risk of cancer. For example, silica dust and diesel engine exhaust emissions can increase your risk of lung cancer. Long-term, repeated exposure to petrol at work can increase the risk of bladder cancer and acute myeloid leukaemia. Some work has a higher risk of these things, like construction, mining, manufacturing and oil refineries.

Firefighting: Firefighting is one of the bravest jobs you can go into, so it seems unfair that it also increases your risk of cancer. But firefighters can be exposed to a range of substances that may do just that. This includes things like:

Chemicals released during fires.
Chemicals in some firefighting foams.
Exposure to diesel exhaust.
Certain building materials, including asbestos.

Sadly, studies show that firefighters have a higher risk of mesothelioma and bladder cancer than the general population. These risks have changed over time, as have the rules protecting firefighters.

Pesticides: People who work regularly with high levels of herbicides and insecticides may have a small increased risk of some types of cancer. There's still research going on, but there are regulations on pesticide use to protect both workers and the public.

UV radiation: If you work outside, you can be exposed to high levels of UV radiation, which can damage the DNA in your skin cells and potentially cause cancer. It might not seem like it sometimes, but the sun in the UK is strong enough to damage your skin, even if it's cloudy. This is the easiest to protect against, since you can protect your skin whenever you're working in the sun.

Thankfully, UK health and safety laws have come a long way in the last few years, and the risks of cancer are much lower now than they have been in the past. But it's important to know if you are at increased risk, so that you can take the appropriate protection.