IOSH urges employers to take action on preventable occupational cancers

World Cancer Day 2026 marks the second year of the global United by Unique campaign, which places people and their lived experiences at the heart of cancer awareness, care and prevention.

The campaign emphasises a people-centred approach and encourages action to address what is missing in current systems of cancer care, focusing on real-world experiences of those affected.

Occupational cancer: a preventable crisis

Every year, 742,000 people die from occupational cancers, caused by exposure to carcinogens in workplaces. These exposures, which include asbestos, silica dust, solar radiation and diesel fumes, continue to take lives, harm families and reduce workforce capacity despite being preventable.

IOSH has long highlighted the scale of this issue through its No Time to Lose campaign.

Its guidance stresses that harmful exposures often go unnoticed and symptoms may not appear for decades, making proactive prevention essential.

IOSH resources to support prevention

To support employers and OSH professionals, IOSH provides evidence-based, practical resources to help identify and manage cancer-causing hazards at work.

These include:

• asbestos – still present in millions of buildings globally and responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year when fibres are inhaled
• silica dust – widespread in construction and quarrying, with particles so small they are often invisible but capable of causing fatal lung diseases
• solar radiation (sun safety) – a major risk for outdoor workers worldwide
• diesel engine exhaust emissions – a common exposure for workers around diesel-powered equipment.

A call to action for World Cancer Day

This World Cancer Day, IOSH encourages organisations to:

• review workplace cancer risks, particularly in high‑risk sectors such as construction, transportation, road maintenance and industrial environments
• refresh their prevention strategies using IOSH’s guidance and campaign materials
• raise awareness among workers, ensuring they understand exposures and adopt protective behaviours
• join the global conversation through initiatives aligned with the United by Unique campaign.