Eliminating occupational cancer in Europe and globally.

There is a need for clear priorities to prevent major work-related health risks and to identify solutions for action. Obviously, cancer at work is the biggest individual threat given the number of deaths in the EU and elsewhere in the developed world; this serious, but preventable disease is rapidly becoming the biggest killer at places of work in most countries. We can and should have a more ambitious target: to eliminate occupational cancer. This should be achieved via a gradual reduction of occupational exposures, in particular to carcinogens, substances and associated processes, arrangements and jobs that are known to cause or contribute to work-related cancers. This needs wide European and international collaboration to identify and market new and evidence-based policies and practices that have been shown to produce results.