Some jobs are inherently risky. And, while employee risks manifest in a variety of forms, those that are not easily visible or are hard to detect are arguably some of the most dangerous.
A detailed and sobering report released in late 2021 by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization found that nearly a quarter of all fatal illnesses are linked to on-the-job exposure to particulate matter, gasses or fumes. The study also found that approximately 80% of the roughly 1.9 million work-related fatalities studied were attributed to “non-communicable diseases,” which cannot be passed between individuals. These diseases accounted for 260,000 annual deaths due to chronic workplace inhalation exposures to chemical agents, such as asbestos, silica, arsenic and others.