Academic brands watchdog ‘feeble’ in the face of growing cancer deaths

THE country’s health watchdog has been branded “feeble” for failing to prevent nearly 12,000 deaths caused by work related cancers.

A Health and Safety Executive board meeting report last week revealed that cancers were to blame for 8,000 to 12,000 deaths per year due to occupational illness.

But according to an occupational health expert more needs to be done to stop people being exposed to dangerous work environments.

Professor Andrew Watterson from Stirling University’s occupational and environmental health research group is angry at the HSE’s apparent lack of 
effectiveness.

He said: “The HSE occupational cancer prevention strategy is stalled and its actions are feeble. The consequences for many employees may literally be lethal and the economic costs for businesses and the NHS considerable.”

Prof Watterson claimed that health bosses are guilty of failing to take action since the 1980s.

He also claimed that inspectors of power plants are being pulled from checking on cancer-causing chemicals.

He said: “It appears to lack expertise and staff to address this subject, partly due to the rundown of its occupational medicine staff and the massive Westminster cuts that it has received.

“Instead it is frittering time away on relatively sterile debates about attributable fractions and drawing on partnerships and pledges that don’t work.”

An HSE spokeswoman said: “HSE takes an evidence-based approach to occupational cancer, focusing in particular on identifying those activities and industry sectors that present the greatest risks and working with stakeholders to identify effective and sustainable solutions.”

The HSE only recently ended its “hidden killer” campaign to highlight the dangers of asbestos.