Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine is the premier workplace health and safety publication in Canada. We cover a wide range of topics ranging from office to heavy industry, and from general safety management to specific workplace hazards.
Issue link: https://digital.thesafetymag.com/i/1315990
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 21 F E A T U R E CARCINOGENS, CLUSTERS AND COMPENSATION Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Canadian women and, in some cases, could potentially be work related — although there may be a long road ahead to recognizing it as an occupational disease EVERY Every year in October, Canada — and the rest of the world — observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, breast cancer is still the most common cancer in Canada and the second leading cause of cancer death among Canadian women. is expected to develop breast cancer during their lifetime and one in 33 will die of it. In 2019, there were an estimated 26,900 Canadian women diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,000 deaths. Eighty-three per cent of breast cancers occur in women over 50 years of age, but breast cancer among Not traditionally thought of as an occupational disease (i.e., a health condition or disorder caused by work environment or tasks), this may be because scientific research into the topic is still relatively limited. According to Canada's Public Health Agency, one in eight women in Canada younger women is increasing. The Public Health Agency of Canada states that there is no single cause of breast cancer, listing risk factors that are largely genetic or lifestyle related. At the time of writing, environmental exposures are not listed as factors. In a recent article for The Conversation, Jane E. McArthur of the University of Windsor writes that primary prevention efforts for tackling breast cancer need to improve. This means better policy, regulation and legislation — specifically around environmental exposures to breast carcinogens. McArthur cites research in her article stating that environmental factors may contribute in 70 per cent to 90 per cent of breast cancer cases, with only five to 10 per cent of cases related to genetics. What is an occupational cancer? According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), an occupational cancer is cancer that is wholly or in part caused by exposure to a carcinogen at work. The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) is pleased to announce Jennifer MacFarlane with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services as the BCRSP Volunteer of the Year for 2020. Jennifer MacFarlane has been a Canadian Registered Safety Professional since 1999 and is passionately committed to continual learning and collaboration. Her talents in these areas generate enthusiasm and engagement in everyone she works with, wherever she goes. Beginning her studies in Engineering Technology, Jennifer received a Bursary Award for Women in Technology in 1994. This award is bestowed in memory of the women who were murdered and injured at École Polytechnique in 1989. Jennifer worked in the education and manufacturing sectors for several years and taught in post- secondary institutions for over a decade. She was recognized for her contributions to the latter with a Distinguished Associate Faculty Award at Conestoga College in 2004. She has obtained certificates in French Language from the University of Western Ontario; in Environmental Management and Technology from Sheridan College; in Risk Management from Wilfrid Laurier University; and in Business Communication from the University of Waterloo. Since 2006, Jennifer has worked at Workplace Safety & Prevention Services, serving the health and safety needs of thousands of businesses in a variety of sectors. She started volunteering as an item writer with BCRSP in 2004. In 2005, she began a six-year assignment with the BCRSP Item Writing Committee. She began as Chair of the BCRSP Regional Screening Centre in 2008, serving until 2019. She currently serves on the Examination Committee. Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals 2020 Volunteer of the Year Announcement info@bcrsp.ca, www.bcrsp.ca The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) Volunteer of the Year program was initiated in 2001 in conjunction with its 25th anniversary and the United Nation's "Year of the Volunteer". The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals is a public interest, not-for-profit, federally incorporated self- regulating organization which sets the certification standards for the OHS profession. BCRSP strives to advance the body of knowledge, the competency of the profession, and the value our certificants bring to society. The BCRSP grants the CRSP® and CRST certifications to individuals who successfully complete the certification process through application assessment, interview, and examination. The Board governs its certificants in order that the public interest may be served and protected. VOY_MacFarlane_Jen_2020_V2.indd 1 VOY_MacFarlane_Jen_2020_V2.indd 1 2020-11-24 12:44:52 PM 2020-11-24 12:44:52 PM