Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Labour minister Fred Horne, speaks to workers at Harvest Crop Care
A Labour Ministry team will spend the next six months exploring how cancer can be prevented in workplaces.
The scheme is among moves aimed at raising awareness of the hazards faced by workers.
Ministry officials launched a consultation this week on how to tackle cancer in the workplace.
The People, Health and Safety Initiative was first announced in June.
It wants to talk to, educate and involve workers as they debate how to combat cancer at workplaces.
“There are some clear links between the diseases and the specific chemicals we are putting into the workplace, through products or processes,” said labour minister Fred Horne.
“Working people are told about the risks involved with the things they use in the workplace, we need to tell them more.”
The programme aims to map the link between cancers and known agents in workplaces.
In particular, officials want to examine how many cancers are due to “indiscriminate emissions of toxins or contaminants”, which could be happening in a large number of workplaces in Ontario.
There are estimated to be more than 10,000 cancer cases in workplaces in the province every year.
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