National Cancer Prevention Month and Protecting Workers in Puerto Rico from Exposure to Carcinogens

According to the Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cancer is a leading cause of death in Puerto Rico, accounting for 17.7% of all deaths. While cancer mortality has gradually declined over the past several decades, there is still much that can be done to help prevent new cases.
 
The American Association for Cancer Research has reported that more than 40% of all diagnosed cancers in this country can be attributed to preventable causes. This is why the month of February is recognized as National Cancer Prevention Month to raise awareness in Puerto Rico and throughout the rest of the United States. It is an excellent time to educate employers, employees and the public about the many ways they can lower their chances of developing cancer by avoiding exposure to carcinogens in the home and workplace.
 
“The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a published list of substances it considers to be potential occupational carcinogens,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “It contains well over 100 substances and includes everything from diesel exhaust, asbestos and wood dust to gasoline, formaldehyde and silica. Sadly, there are workers in a number of professions across Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean that are exposed to these substances as dusts, fumes, fibers, gases or liquids on a regular basis. Identifying these exposure risks so they can be eliminated or mitigated is essential. Testing, training, personal protective equipment, and administrative and engineering controls are some of the important tools needed to further reduce the rate of new cancer cases.”
 
To help in these efforts, the industrial hygiene and environmental professionals at Zimmetry Environmental offer testing and monitoring services for a wide range of carcinogens, respiratory irritants, allergens and known asthma triggers. They also provide building inspections and training to help safeguard workers and the public. These services are also essential in many instances for keeping companies and institutions in regulatory compliance. Zimmetry has even sponsored an educational video about National Cancer Prevention Month that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/d3twvxX1j4o
 
To learn more about Zimmetry and their indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail