Abstract
The Canadian Workplace Exposure Database (CWED) is the first of its kind in Canada. It was originally developed in 2008 by the Canadian Carcinogen Exposure project (CAREX Canada) to assist in estimating worker exposures to carcinogens across the country.
Following the CWED’s establishment, all Canadian federal and provincial agencies responsible for administering occupational health and safety regulation were surveyed to obtain a clearer picture of the quantity and quality of regulatory exposure data available. This revealed troubling reductions in exposure measurement collection, retention, and centralization by these agencies in recent years.
Such trends will limit access to workplace exposure measurements for federal and provincial regulatory agencies as well as health researchers. Workplace exposure databases are used around the world for a variety of important purposes, such as identifying hazardous workplaces and workers at risk, assessing temporal–spatial trends, setting priorities for prevention, and informing epidemiological research.
Efforts are underway to preserve historical data and promote prospective collection, however future success of the CWED will require collaboration and long-term vision on the part of those responsible for collecting workplace exposure measurements in Canada.
Key Words: Occupational exposure, exposure database, hazard control, workplace surveillance
Résumé
La Base de données canadienne sur l’exposition professionnelle aux agents cancérogènes (BCEPC) est la première du genre au Canada. Créée en 2008 par le projet CAREX Canada, elle sert à estimer l’exposition des travailleurs du pays aux agents cancérogènes.
Après la création de la BCEPC, nous avons sondé les organismes fédéraux et provinciaux du Canada chargés d’administrer la réglementation sur la santé et la sécurité au travail pour obtenir un portrait plus clair de la quantité et de la qualité des données réglementaires sur l’exposition disponibles. Ce sondage a révélé des réductions troublantes dans la collecte, la conservation et la centralisation des indicateurs d’exposition par ces organismes au cours des dernières années.
De telles tendances limiteront l’accès des organismes de réglementation fédéraux et provinciaux et des chercheurs médicaux aux indicateurs d’exposition en milieu de travail. Les bases de données sur l’exposition en milieu de travail sont utilisées autour du monde dans divers buts importants, notamment pour identifier les lieux de travail dangereux et les travailleurs à risque, évaluer les tendances spatio-temporelles, décider des priorités en matière de prévention et éclairer la recherche épidémiologique.
Des efforts sont en cours pour préserver les données historiques et promouvoir la collecte prospective, mais le succès futur de la BCEPC exigera une collaboration et une vision à long terme de la part des responsables de la collecte des indicateurs d’exposition professionnelle aux agents cancérogènes au Canada.
Mots Clés: exposition professionnelle, base de données sur l’exposition, réduction des dangers, surveillance en milieu de travail
Footnotes
Acknowledgements of support: The CAREX Canada project is funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The Canadian Workplace Exposure Database (CWED) has been developed through funding from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, WorkSafeBC’s Innovation at Work program, and the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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