Some 7,000 people per year get cancer from their work; Trade union shocked

Every year, some 7,000 Dutch people get cancer because they come into contact with harmful substances at work or are insufficiently protected against UV radiation from the sun while working in the open air, TNO found in a study on behalf of KWF Kankerbestrijding. Trade union FNV is shocked.

TNO identified 3,900 work-related cancer cases in the reference year, 2021. There were also at least 3,100 diagnoses of basal cell carcinoma - a less severe form of skin cancer. The study mentions these cases separately because basal cell carcinoma is “often treated in primary care, is rarely life-threatening, and is therefore not fully registered.”

KWF includes basal cell carcinomas in the figures because the cause is the same as that of more serious forms of skin cancer. “It also puts extra pressure on healthcare,” said a spokesperson.

Lung cancer remains a common occupational disease, often caused by asbestos. The use of this pathogenic material has been prohibited since 1993, but it is still present in many older buildings and installations. According to the study, over 1,400 people developed cancer in the reference year 2021 due to exposure to asbestos at work. In most cases, it was lung cancer.

According to KWF, this estimate of the number of people who develop cancer due to exposure at work is the “most accurate to date.” The estimate is probably on the low side because only the most common risk factors were examined. “Nobody should get cancer from work. These figures show that we are still a long way from that,” said KWF director Dorine Manson.

According to Manson, the fact that skin cancer stands out so much emphasizes the importance of good protection against UV radiation. According to her, it is important to comply with the strict rules for demolition and renovation work to prevent asbestos-related cancer. KWF also concludes that it is important “not to wait too long to take measures if you know that a substance is carcinogenic.”

According to TNO, 5.4 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in men are related to their work. In women, this is a smaller share at 0.5 percent.

FNV was shocked by the results. “Never before has the relationship between the work you do and cancer been made so explicitly in the Netherlands,” said FNV director David van de Geer. He advocates better compliance with regulations, better checks, and better regulations. He also criticized recent motions in parliament that are intended to reduce the regulatory burden surrounding the registration of hazardous substances. The trade union believes this is "ill-considered and irresponsible.”

“The realization that employees should be able to work in a healthy way should be much more ingrained in politicians, and in large and small employers. The Labor Inspectorate should be able to enforce better and the current regulations should therefore be tightened rather than weakened. Loosening the reins is a huge blow to the right to healthy and safe work.”