Some jobs are just obviously dangerous. If you spend your days climbing into burning buildings, chasing bad guys, or driving in traffic, your health risk while on the clock goes up significantly compared to the average worker. However, other jobs have more hidden but equally sinister side effects. For most employees, there’s only a slim chance of having a gun pointed in your direction at work. But your job’s cancer risk could be equally as threatening.
With the increase of safety regulations at state and federal levels over the past few decades, the rate of workplace-related cancers has gone down significantly, the American Cancer Society reports. Only about 4% of cancer patients in the United States can trace the origin of the disease to occupational exposure to cancer-causing substances, or carcinogens. However, those carcinogens can sometimes take decades to surface, meaning people who worked in various industries 40 years ago might just now be reaping the consequences of being exposed to certain toxins.
Even though organizations, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, now regulate exposure to toxins more carefully, accidents on the job or lax adherence to the rules can still put workers at risk for certain cancers. Pretty much every job comes with its own unique set of health risks, but these particular occupations could lead to certain cancers, such as lymphoma, leukemia, and other types.
Let’s take a look at the 10 jobs that put you at a higher risk of cancer.
10. Auto mechanics
Automobile mechanics have dirty, greasy jobs, but the grime is more than surface level. Asbestos is still sometimes used with brake linings and clutch configurations because of its heat-resistant qualities. But the asbestos fibers can be released into the air — and mechanic’s lungs — when those parts begin to disintegrate or are replaced.
Asbestos is the leading cause of mesothelioma, a particularly nasty form of cancer. That’s why, among other regulations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administrationrequires mechanics to use special procedures for brake and clutch repairs. This is especially true for shops that work with more than five such repairs per week.
On top of the asbestos danger, mechanics often come into contact with petrol — either in repair work or even to clean their hands. Petrol contains benzene, which is a recognized cause of certain cancers, such as leukemia, and some studies have linked a higher risk of those cancers to mechanics as a result.
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