|
Dramatic
Increase of Asbestos-Related Deaths in Canada
December
12, 2006 -
A recently released study, Five Deaths a Day:
Workplace Fatalities in Canada, 1993-2005, found that workplace
fatalities in Canada are climbing, and that most of the increase
is caused by asbestos exposure. In 2004, there were a total of 958
workplace-related fatalities in Canada. That number increased to
1,097 in 2005. Of the 2005 total of 1,097 workplace-related fatalities,
557 were caused by occupational disease. Three hundred forty of
the occupational disease fatalities were asbestos-related. This
is a considerable increase in asbestos-related deaths compared to
less than 60 asbestos-related deaths a decade earlier, according
to the study.
Inhalation
and ingestion of asbestos dust and fibers can lead to mesothelioma,
asbestosis, pleural plaques, and lung cancer. The Canadian Cancer
Society has stated that Canada is in the middle of an Aepidemic
of work-related mesothelioma cases.
Canada
is one of the largest miners and exporters of asbestos in the world,
despite the fact that some countries have banned the use of asbestos
in all or most products. The use of asbestos in the United States
is not banned. Most of the mining of asbestos in Canada occurs in
Quebec.
The
epidemic of asbestos disease for workers is, unfortunately, not
limited to Canada. The International Labour Organization reports
that 100,000 workers die each year from asbestos-related diseases.
Automobile mechanics, construction workers, insulators, workers
in trades and transport industries are just a few of the occupations
that have suffered from diseases related to asbestos.
Five deaths a day: Workplace fatalities in Canada, 1993-2005 also reports that asbestos-related deaths are not expected to
peak until 2010 to 2020. The report states that, due to long latency
periods from the time of exposure until the individual learns that
they are suffering from an asbestos-related disease, it is likely
that the number of work-related deaths have not yet peaked. The
report notes that symptoms may not appear until 20 to 50 years after
exposure to asbestos.
|
|
