Abstract
Background: Road transport workers (RTWs) are at high risk of exposure to several occupational carcinogens. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the extent and the circumstances of exposure. As a sub-study of the Australian Work Exposures Study, this study investigated the prevalence of occupational exposure in Australian RTWs. Methods: A random sample of Australian working population was invited to a telephone interview regarding their current jobs. An automated expert-assessment procedure was applied to self-reported job-related tasks using a web-based application. 162 RTWs were included in this study. Results: RTWs were exposed to diesel exhaust (97%), solar ultraviolet radiation (78%), environmental tobacco smoke (55%), benzene (29%), silica (15%), and asbestos (10%) at work. Besides driving on roads, vehicle maintenance-related tasks were the major source of carcinogen exposures among RTWs. Discussion: Most RTWs are exposed to at least one carcinogen at work. We have identified tasks where the use of control measures could potentially reduce exposures.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 31-41 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | American Journal of Industrial Medicine |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2016 |
Keywords
- road transport workers
- occupational exposure
- cross-sectional survey
- exposure prevalence