This project aimed to explore ways that data from Ontario’s Toxics Reduction Act (TRA) could be used for exposure surveillance. The study used TRA data to assess and highlight potential workplace exposures of concern occurring in Ontario industries.
Exposure to toxic substances in the workplace is an important disease risk factor. Surveillance systems that collect data on occupational exposures can provide important information to support the primary prevention of occupational diseases. Occupational exposure surveillance consists of the ongoing assessment and monitoring of workplace chemical use and worker exposures.
Data from exposure surveillance systems can be used to establish priorities for disease prevention related to particular types of hazardous substances, or in particular industrial sectors where these substances are used.
We used data from Ontario’s TRA Program to examine the industrial use of hazardous substances from 2011 to 2015. We analyzed the data by sector, by region (Public Health Unit) and by substance type to demonstrate potential applications of the TRA data for exposure surveillance and highlight potential workplace exposures of concern occurring in Ontario industries.
Our findings identified geographic regions in Ontario where the use of cancer-causing substances was highest, such as in Lambton County and the City of Sudbury. Carcinogen use in Lambton County between 2011 and 2015 represented nearly half of the total carcinogen use across all regions of Ontario.
We also used TRA data to identify particular sectors, such as the chemical manufacturing and primary metal manufacturing sectors, which would benefit from an exposure surveillance system. Facilities in the chemical manufacturing sector ranked first among all sectors for reported carcinogen use, using more than 10 million tonnes in the five-year period analyzed.
For more detailed results, read the full report.
The results from this project help to demonstrate ways that data from the TRA could be applied to develop an exposure surveillance system in Ontario. This system could help set priorities for prevention activities including exposure reductions, exposure monitoring, and enforcement activities. Our findings suggest that targeted toxic substance use reductions in key sectors and regions could minimize potential occupational exposures among Ontario workers and may help to reduce the burden of occupational disease.
This project was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
Exploring applications of the Ontario Toxics Reduction Act for exposure surveillance
