ABIH® Promotes Respirable Hazard Recognition in Support of Lung Cancer Awareness Month

In the United States, more people die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer.  It is also the second most commonly diagnosed form of cancer.  To draw attention to these facts and to promote methods to cure and prevent new cases of lung cancer, November is recognized as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. 
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as recently as 2014, over 215,000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer and more than 155,000 died due to the condition in just the United States.  The agency reports that smoking remains the number one cause of lung cancer and that lung cancer rates are finally decreasing nationally as fewer people smoke cigarettes.
 
In addition to exposure to tobacco smoke, a number of other air quality and industrial pollutants are known to cause lung cancer.  This list includes radon, a leading cause of lung cancer that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believes to result in an estimated 20,000 new cases each year.  In industry, numerous respirable hazards have been linked to the development of lung cancer. For example, exposure to silica particulates can result in silicosis and has been linked to lung cancer. Inhaling asbestos fibers is known to cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. In fact, workers in numerous professions are exposed to a variety of respirable dusts and aerosols that can cause lung cancer, other respiratory diseases or exacerbate existing respiratory conditions.
 
“Tragically, many people are unaware that they have developed lung cancer until the late stages of the condition when treatment options may be limited,” said Jeffrey Miller, CIH^® and Chair of ABIH^®. “Lung cancer and lung diseases due to occupational exposures to known respirable hazards are entirely preventable. The industrial hygiene community, and Certified Industrial Hygienists in particular, are well versed to help in these prevention efforts with their training in health risk analysis, hazard communication, community exposure, engineering controls and ventilation, and air sampling and instrumentational analysis. Their knowledge of radiation, chemical and biological pollutants also affords them the ability to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control respirable hazards that are known to cause lung cancer and many other respiratory diseases.” 
 
To learn more about the American Board of Industrial Hygiene^®, Certified Industrial Hygienist^® credential or to locate a CIH^® to perform industrial hygiene services, please visit www.ABIH.org, email abih@ABIH.org or call (517) 321-2638.
 
About the American Board of Industrial Hygiene ^®
Since 1960, ABIH^®, a not-for-profit corporation, has been the world’s largest organization for certifying professionals in the practice of industrial hygiene. ABIH^® is the premier credentialing body responsible for ensuring high-quality certification including education, experience, examination, certification maintenance and ethics enforcement.  Currently, more than 6900 people in 32 countries are certified to use the CIH^® credential.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail