Diesel dangers

Your article (13 June) about the risks of diesel refers to the fact that “the man in the street” should not be worried by this report. Those working in environments – be they man or woman or young person – where diesel fumes may be present at significant levels should be.

The World Health Organisation does not list human carcinogens lightly. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in May 2012, produced a document that ranked diesel as the sixth most important workplace carcinogen in the UK. It also included an estimate of 652 lung cancer and bladder deaths each year from work exposures to diesel fumes and more than 100,000 people exposed to diesel fumes at work.

In the light of the UK Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee (IIAC) report, it is to be hoped that the HSE will now quickly produce new information leaflets on diesel that list it as a proven human lung carcinogen and increase its activities on prevention of exposures to fumes.

The IIAC should also rapidly recommend the listing of lung cancer from diesel fumes as a prescribed industrial disease.

(Prof) Andrew Watterson

Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group

University of Stirling