CANCER Council is pushing for awareness with their kNOw Workplace Cancer project.
The project is encouraging people to be aware of the dangers of occupational and environmental cancers.
National Occupational and Environmental Cancer project officer Sharnae Zanotti said diesel engine exhaust fumes are known to likely cause cancer in the lungs and possibly the bladder.
Ms Zanotti said people who regularly consume diesel fumes were 40 percent more likely to develop the cancer.
An estimated 1.2 million people are exposed to DEE across Australia’s workforce.
“Fourteen percent of the workforce are exposed to diesel engine exhaust at work and around 130 Australians develop lung cancer each year as a result,” Ms Zanotti said.
“Farmers were found to be one of the top occupations to have the most exposure to diesel engine exhaust with 94 percent of agriculture workers being exposed.”
Ms Zanotti said it was important to understand when they were exposed to these fumes.
Anytime someone is around a diesel filled vehicle like trucks or tractors, they can be exposed, especially in confined spaces such as sheds or workshops.
Other items such as compressors or generators can also be a rick as they emit fumes.
To reduce diesel engine exhaust fume consumption the Cancer Council suggests farmers have adequate ventilation and wind up windows when driving a diesel-fuelled vehicle.
For more information on diesel engine exhaust fumes go to the cancer council website - cancer.org.au/workcancer.
