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HSA hosts international conference in Dublin to strengthen protection of workers from carcinogens

Wednesday, 28 October 2026

  • 400 deaths every year in Ireland are estimated to be caused by exposure to carcinogens at work
  • EU Presidency conference brings experts, regulators, researchers, employers, union leaders and practitioners together to address exposure to respirable carcinogens in the workplace 

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) will bring together leading European and Irish experts in Dublin today (Wednesday 28 October) for an EU Presidency conference focused on protecting workers from exposure to carcinogens in the workplace.
 
In Ireland, it is estimated that approximately 400 deaths every year are caused by exposure to carcinogens at work. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), about 120,000 work-related cancer cases occur each year as a result of exposure to carcinogens at work in the EU, leading to approximately 80,000 fatalities annually.

The conference, “The Air We Work In: Protecting Workers from Respirable Carcinogens”, takes place as part of the European Roadmap on Carcinogens initiative and will focus particular attention on the risks posed by carcinogenic substances that can be inhaled in workplace environments. 
  
Speaking ahead of the conference, HSA Chief Executive Officer Mark Cullen, said:

“Exposure to carcinogens at work does not always involve an obvious or visible danger. The consequences can emerge many years after exposure has taken place, which makes prevention and effective risk management particularly important.
 
“Employers have a responsibility to identify where workers may be exposed to hazardous substances and to put appropriate measures in place to eliminate or control that exposure. Our focus must always be on preventing occupational disease before it occurs.”
 

The conference forms part of the wider Roadmap on Carcinogens initiative and is being hosted during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event brings together experts, regulators, researchers, employers, union leaders and practitioners to share knowledge and experience, and consider how workplace exposure to carcinogens can be more effectively prevented and controlled.
 
Mark Cullen continued:

“No individual organisation or country has all the answers when it comes to tackling occupational exposure to carcinogens. Sharing evidence, practical interventions and regulatory experience across borders is an important part of improving prevention. By learning from one another, we can turn that shared knowledge into practical action that reduces exposure and better protects workers.”

The conference takes place at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 on Wednesday 28 October beginning at 13:00. A wide range of speakers will feature including representatives from the EU Commission, the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and the Health and Safety Authority.