About 1.5 million Australians may be currently exposed to carcinogens in their jobs. This estimate is based on European data and we need Australian information in order to direct future Australian research, policy and practice. The project will survey 5000 Australian workers to estimate the exposure to up to 53 prioity occupational chemicals. This will provide a sound basis for estimating the occupational risk of cancers for Australian workers and determining how to decrease the number of cancer ....About 1.5 million Australians may be currently exposed to carcinogens in their jobs. This estimate is based on European data and we need Australian information in order to direct future Australian research, policy and practice. The project will survey 5000 Australian workers to estimate the exposure to up to 53 prioity occupational chemicals. This will provide a sound basis for estimating the occupational risk of cancers for Australian workers and determining how to decrease the number of cancers caused by work.Read moreRead less
This project will provide comprehensive nationally-representative data on the issue of hearing loss at work. We will undertake a large national survey to determine how many Australians are exposed to noise and ototoxic chemicals in the workplace and will use these data to estimate the future burden of work-related hearing loss. We will also estimate how changes in the use of noise control measures could alter the burden and the costs.
Reducing Prolonged Workplace Sitting Time In Office Workers: A Cluster-randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$524,613.00
Summary
Groundbreaking Australian research shows that sitting for too long, which is routine for most office workers, contributes to overweight and to a greater risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. In over 300 desk-bound office workers, this world-first study will assess the effectiveness of an innovative workplace program aimed at reducing and breaking up sitting time. It will identify practical ways for Australian office workers to minimise unhealthy effects of sitting too much at work.
Climate Change Impacts On Workplace Heat Extremes: Health Risk Estimates And Adaptive Options
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$741,938.00
Summary
Global warming will bring more hot (and extremely hot) days as Australia warms within the projected range of 2-4oC by 2070. Working in the heat is uncomfortable and requires rest breaks, yet pressure to keep working risks overheating and serious health problems. We will study the current effects on health and productivity on heat exposed workers, and model future trends in likely impacts under climate change in 8 (urban and rural) regions, with and without adaptive health protection strategies.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100924
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Living with bushfires: generating essential evidence for sustainable fire management. Planned burning is a crucial tool for bushfire management yet a side effect is smoke pollution. This research will use ambulance data to assess the acute community health impacts of smoke from wild and planned fires to provide essential evidence for increasing the safety and acceptability of planned burning operations in Australia.
Occupational Exposure To Lead Compounds And Human Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$222,887.00
Summary
This study aims to investigate whether there is a link between cancer (in particular cancer of the stomach, lung, kidney and central nervous system) and occupational exposure to lead compounds. There are only a few published cohort studies available on occupational exposures in use and applications of lead compounds, despite the widespread use of these compounds in the past 50 years. Since the late 1980s the use of lead compounds in Australia has decreased, but Australian and world lead producti ....This study aims to investigate whether there is a link between cancer (in particular cancer of the stomach, lung, kidney and central nervous system) and occupational exposure to lead compounds. There are only a few published cohort studies available on occupational exposures in use and applications of lead compounds, despite the widespread use of these compounds in the past 50 years. Since the late 1980s the use of lead compounds in Australia has decreased, but Australian and world lead production has increased. Australia is the world's biggest producer of lead. The precise number of lead workers worldwide is unknown but there are likely to be more than 2 million workers of which many are in developing countries where control of lead exposure is unsatisfactory and occupational exposure limits are considerably higher than in developed countries. Evidence for or against cancer risk with exposure to lead compounds , in particular inorganic lead, will therefore have implications for many Australian and international workers. This is also important for health risk assessment for environmental contamination in the Australian community. In our study we will review the state government archived records of about 8,000 lead workers in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, who took part in lead compound exposure surveys and had blood tests in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, as part of government lead regulations in force at the time. We will then match the details of these workers against the National Cancer and Death registry data to calculate cancer rates. This should involve a sufficient number of workers to enable us to undertake a comprehensive health evaluation of cancer risk and exposure to lead compounds.Read moreRead less