News

The waste management and recycling industry is central to circular economy policies and is growing all the time. The occupational health of professionals in this industry is a real challenge and was examined by ANSES in an initial expert appraisal, whose results are published today. The Agency provided an overview of the industry, and conducted an analysis to group together different waste management sectors according to their impact on worker health. Although it noted a lack of data on the health risks to waste management workers, the expert appraisal highlighted exposure to multiple risk factors, mainly associated with chemicals, bacteria and mould in waste, noise and mechanical vibrations, and organisational constraints. Risks to mental health associated with the working conditions, organisation and attitudes to occupations in this sector also need to be considered. ANSES is therefore making recommendations with a view to acquiring knowledge on the health risks to workers, raising awareness of risk prevention and improving medical monitoring of waste workers. It is also recommending that the health impacts on these professionals be integrated into eco-design activities. As a first example for the industry, the Agency proposes conducting a risk assessment on the household packaging sector, with its multiple health and socio-economic challenges.