Young workers’ perceptions about occupational carcinogens

BackgroundYoung workers (≤25 years) face a well-documented increased risk of occupational injury, but little is known about their risk for occupational disease or how it compares to older workers, even though similar factors may contribute to both injuries and hazardous exposures.ObjectiveThe objective of this mixed-methods study was to assess young workers' ability to identify carcinogens and identify factors that may be indicative of a higher risk of occupational cancer.MethodsWe conducted a survey of young workers in Canada and the United Kingdom via Prolific to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours around carcinogenic exposures in the workplace. Participants were asked True/False (T/F) questions on factors affecting hazardous exposures, Likert-scale questions on workplace behaviours, and to identify carcinogens among various hazards. Scores were assigned based on ability to identify carcinogens, median scores were compared across demographics, occupational groupings, and responses. Participants were then recruited to participate in focus groups to discuss questions in further detail.ResultsMedian scores were lowest among participants in (1) retail and sales, and (2) agriculture, trades and manufacturing. Regardless of occupation, the ability to identify carcinogens was low. Median carcinogen scores were lower among incorrect T/F responses related to hazardous exposure. Many participants indicated a lack of knowledge regarding workplace hazards or how they may affect their health despite reporting receiving training.ConclusionsThere are knowledge gaps by occupational groups that highlight a need for improvements to the delivery of training to young workers in the primary sector, manufacturing, and retail and sales.