Nasal and Sinus Cancer: Work Exposure

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Nasal and sinus cancer affects the space behind your nose, the cheekbones, forehead and the cavities inside your nose. It is a very rare type of cancer, mainly affecting men aged between 50 and 60.

What are the symptoms of nasal and sinus cancer?

A blocked nose that does not clear.
Blood when you blow your nose.
Nosebleeds that occur for no reason.
Losing your sense of smell.
Headaches.
Jaw stiffness or pain.
Loose teeth in your upper jaw.
Double vision.

Such symptoms can be due to a number of reasons, but if you are suffering with any of the above it is important that you undergo medical assessment from your GP as soon as possible.

Nasal and Sinus Cancer – Work Exposure

What are the main factors that increase your risk to nasal and sinus cancer?

There are a number of factors that can increase the risk of nasal and sinus cancers, such as:

Smoking: This increases the risk of nasal cavity cancer. The risk increases the longer and more that you smoke

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): A very common virus that can cause growths or warts; there are many different strands of HPV, and different strands will cause risk factors for different types of cancer. Around 1 in 5 diagnoses of nasal and sinus cancers is thought to be linked to HPV.

Gender: You are more at risk of developing these cancers if you are male around the age of 50–60.

Workplace exposures that can cause nasal and sinus cancer

A study produced by the Health and Safety Executive in 2012 stated that around a third of all these types of cancers are linked to exposure at work. The people who work in the following industries/jobs are at risk of developing these types of cancers:

Textiles: Exposure to cloth fibres in the textile manufacturing industry.
Carpentry: Exposure to wood dust, typically from people working in furniture and cabinet building industries.
Baking and Flour Milling: Flour.
Steel industry: Nickel and chromium dust – Metals used to make stainless steel.
Metal workers, machinists, engineers and print industry: Mineral oils – used as a lubricant.

How should your employer protect you from this risk?

Employers have a duty to ensure that their employees are not put at any foreseeable risk as far as practicable; the employer should undertake a suitable risk assessment of the system of work. Any risk to employee health must be identified, and the risk should then be minimised to the lowest level possible.

Risks can be minimised in a number of ways:

Changing substances or machinery that may be causing the exposure.
Issuing personal protective equipment to prevent/minimise exposure as far as reasonably practicable.
Have processes in place to report defective equipment/systems.

Employees must always be given training and information by their employer about risks and exposure to chemicals.

If you have any of the above symptoms and believe it may be as a result of exposure to chemicals/dust at work, it may be that you are suffering from illness as a direct result of this exposure. Oakwood Solicitors has on-site experts in bringing Industrial Disease claims and has a proven record of success.