Global Estimates on Biological Risks at Work

Jukka Takala; Alexis Descatha; A Oppliger; H Hamzaoui; Catherine Bråkenhielm; Subas Neupane

doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2023.10.005

Global Estimates on Biological Risks at Work

Saf Health Work. 2023 Dec;14(4):390-397. doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2023.10.005. Epub 2023 Oct 5.

Authors

Jukka Takala¹, Alexis Descatha^{2

3}, A Oppliger⁴, H Hamzaoui⁵, Catherine Bråkenhielm⁶, Subas Neupane¹

Affiliations

¹ Unit of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
² Univ Angers, CHU Angers, Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, IRSET-ESTER, SFR ICAT, CAPTV CDC, Angers, France.
³ Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra, Northwell, USA.
⁴ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Unisanté, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Labour Administration, Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Branch, International Labour Office, ILO, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ Formerly Occupational Safety and Health Coordinator, International Labour Standards Department, International Labour Office, ILO, Geneva, Switzerland.

Abstract

Introduction: Biological risks are a major global problem in the workplace. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the biological risks at work. This study presents data on both communicable infectious biological agents and noncommunicable factors leading to death and disability for the year 2021.

Methods: We followed the methodology established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in their past global estimates on occupational accidents and work-related diseases. We used relevant ILO estimates for hazardous substances and related population attributable fractions derived from literature, which were then applied to World Health Organization mortality data. The communicable diseases included in the estimates were tuberculosis, pneumococcal diseases, malaria, diarrheal diseases, other infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, influenza associated respiratory diseases and COVID-19. Noncommunicable diseases and injuries considered were Chronic Obstructive Diseases (COPD) due to organic dusts, asthma, allergic reactions and risks related to animal contact. We estimated death attributable to biological risk at work and disability in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs).

Results: We estimated that in 2022, 550,819 deaths were caused by biological risk factors, with 476,000 deaths attributed to communicable infectious diseases and 74,000 deaths caused by noncommunicable factors. Among these, there were 223,650 deaths attributed to COVID-19 at work. We calculated the rate of 584 DALYs per 100,000 workers, representing an 11% increase from the previous estimate of the global burden of work-related disabilities measured by DALYs.

Conclusion: This is a first update since previous 2007 ILO estimates, which has now increased by 74% and covers most biological risks factors. However, it is important to note that there may be other diseases and deaths are missing from the data, which need to be included when new information becomes available. It is also worth mentioning that while deaths caused by major communicable diseases including COVID-19 are relatively rare within the working population, absences from work due to these diseases are likely to be very common within the active workforce.

Keywords: Biosafety; Exposure; Occupational diseases; Organic chemicals; Work environment.