LUNG SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM
Occupation related cancers are the leading cause of compensated work related deaths in Canada, exceeding claims from traumatic injuries and disorders. According to a research report by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), lung cancer accounts for between 6.3% – 13% of the common occupational cancers documented. Moreover, the CCOHS reports that they observed a 70% increase in accepted claims that were related to asbestos exposure in the workplace that resulted in death. The long latency period between asbestos exposure and onset of symptoms underscores the importance for comprehensive lung surveillance.
Intrinsic Analytics’ Lung Surveillance Program, also called the Fibrogenic Dust Program, offers medical screening for workers at a risk of developing lung problems due to their working conditions. Our comprehensive Lung Surveillance Program helps monitor changes in lung health and identify lung disease at an early stage when interventions are most successful.
Who Needs to Be Tested?
According to Workplace Safety and Health Regulations under Part 36.2 and Section 50 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act, employees who work with chemical and biological substances are required to undergo regular occupational lung screening depending on limits of exposure.
Industries that perform activities that increase airborne exposure to particles must have Lung Surveillance Programs in place. Examples of activities that are considered in the act include but are not limited to:
- Construction – anyone dealing with: silica, granite, sand, fill dirt, topsoil, masonry, tiles, bricks, refractory bricks, asphalt, asbestos, and saw dust.
- Mining – i.e. coal dust
- Abrasive or hydro blasting for concrete
- Demolition processes
- Façade renovations
- Clean-up activities such as drying or pressurized
- Agriculture environments requiring crop spraying or working with heavy dust
- Agricultural workers cleaning livestock facilities (such as dairy farms)
- Many other industrial processes
What Makes Intrinsic Analytics A Leader In Lung Surveillance?
Our Lung Surveillance Program is the most comprehensive in the industry. We ensure compliance with the Workplace Safety and Health regulations and guidelines. Our testing is conducted by highly trained and certified occupational health technicians and physicians. We use hospital grade equipment which exceeds the American Thoracic Society (ATS) standards for testing. We adhere to the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Acts (PIPEDA). In addition, we have qualified and experienced health care professionals who analyze and interpret the results. Furthermore, we often assist employers with the required government reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Occupational cancer is cancer caused wholly or partly by exposure to a carcinogen at work.
2. Why is asbestos considered harmful for lung health?When materials containing asbestos are disintegrated or damaged, asbestos fibres are released into the air. When these fibres are inhaled, they can cause serious lung conditions that develop gradually, but can be deadly. Asbestos exposure can cause the following lung conditions:
- Mesothelioma, a rare and deadly cancer that forms in the lining of the lungs or abdomen and is often caused by exposure to asbestos fibers
- Asbestosis, a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling the asbestos fibers
- Pleural thickening, a condition where the pleura (a delicate membrane lining the lungs) thickens due to the development of a scar tissue
Coal dust is a mixture that contains more than 50 substances produced during mining and handling of coal. Some of the common coal dust includes, kaolinite, illite, calcite, pyrite and quartz (silica). Exposure to coal dust can result in a serious disease commonly known as “Black Lung” or “Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP)”. Overtime and continued exposure to the coal dust causes scarring of the lungs and therefore may impair the ability to breathe.
4. Why is silica considered harmful for lung health?Silica is present in 95% of the rocks, clay, sand and soils. Crystalline silica found in sand, quartz and granite can become hazardous when it becomes airborne dur to certain activities.
Silica has been linked with respiratory cancers, silicosis, chronic pulmonary disease, emphysema and pulmonary tuberculosis in humans. Continuous exposure to silica puts workers at an increased risk to contracting these lung health problems.
5. Which industries’ workers are at an increased risk of developing occupational lung health problems?
Some of the industries where workers are at an increased risk of developing occupational lung health problems include:
- Construction
- Mining
- Manufacturing
- Agriculture
- Foundry
- Associated Trades and Consultants
According to Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act, Parts 50.1, 50.2 and 50.3 clearly outlines the need to conduct medical examination and health surveillance for workers exposed to hazardous materials at the workplace.
Contact Us
Intrinsic Analytics is Manitoba’s premier bioinformation services company. We provide personalized and customizable bioinformation and biochemical analysis for individuals, commercial enterprises and government agencies. We offer two main platforms, occupational health and personal health. In addition, we engage in health research aimed at developing new health related assays.