Occupational Exposures among Women Based on CAREX Canada's Estimates

摘要

Introduction CAREX Canada develops estimates of the prevalence of exposure to carcinogens. This data can be shown by sex, but potential sex-differences in prevalence of exposure were not considered. The objective of this work is to a) highlight workforce differences by sex, and b) to identify industries/occupations where women's exposures may be underrepresented in CAREX Canada estimates. Methods Census data were obtained from Statistics Canada for 2006 and 2016. Comparisons of prevalence by sex were done by industry and occupation, as well as between these 2 time points to identify categories predominantly composed of female (or male) workers. Exposure prevalence estimates were compared by sex, and broad trends in carcinogen exposure prevalence between female and male workers were calculated. Results The 2006 workforce was 47.3% female, and this increased slightly in 2016 (47.8%). However, stark differences occur in some industries; for example, health care was strongly female-dominated (82.1% female in 2006 and 2016), and construction was strongly male-dominated (12% female in 2006 and 2016). Nearly all industries were stable (≤2% change) in terms of sex balance over the census periods. CAREX estimates indicate that men strongly dominate the carcinogen-exposed workforce in Canada, with 81% of the exposures (on average), reflecting occupational categories where 'traditional' carcinogens are well-known to occur (such as construction, mining, and manufacturing). An emerging exposure where this was not the case was antineoplastic drug exposures, which are dominated by female workers (75% of those exposed). Conclusions CAREX estimates may give a false impression that exposure to carcinogens is less important in females than males due to our better knowledge of exposure patterns in male-dominated industries and its focus on the more 'traditional' carcinogens.