On 20 and 21 November the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU organised an interesting event on preventing work-related cancer. The four main objectives of the Roadmap on Carcinogens were discussed in depth and the work carried out on the challenges was reviewed.
Topics that were adressed included:
- Update about the Roadmap on Carcinogens and challenges
- Carcinogens that are not included in REACH
- Safe work procedures and prevention
- Asbestos
- Green transition and OSH
- European legislation
The live-stream is still available (both in Spanish and English)
Link to the videos of the live-stream >>
Have a look at the program >>
The Roadmap on Carcinogens initiative has been running since the event organised by the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU on the prevention of work-related cancer in 2016. Under the framework, six European organisations, Austria, the Netherlands, Business Europe, the European Trade Union Confederation, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and the European Commission, decided to join forces to develop a voluntary action plan to raise awareness of the risks arising from exposure to carcinogens in the workplace and to promote exchange good practices between companies and organisations.
Four main objectives
The roadmap has evolved into a larger initiative with many active participants. The four main objectives of the Roadmap on Carcinogens are:
- To raise awareness across Europe among companies and workers about the risks of exposure to carcinogens and the need for preventive action.
- To provide assistance to companies and workers to prevent exposure to carcinogenic substances in the workplace and to minimise their effect on the workforce.
- To mobilise stakeholders and increase the involvement of relevant parties, such as sectors and industry, to multiply our efforts across Europe.
- To focus innovation on bridging the gap between research results and business needs.
In 2020, a new Roadmap strategy was defined and articulated in four pillars and 12 challenges. Since its inception, the number of organisations committed to the Roadmap on Carcinogens has been increasing, with most of the governments of the successive presidencies of the Council of the EU joining the Roadmap, the most recent being the Spanish incorporation in March 2022.
