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Managing the risks of carcinogens in the workplace through an educational game

Managing the risks of carcinogens in the workplace through an educational game

Type of measure: Organizational

True to the motto ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ it is necessary to start with integrating activities that raise awareness in primary schools and in vocational educational training.

Interactive game

Familiarise students with the measures to be taken to manage the risks of carcinogens in the workplace. The game is available in English, Dutch and French.

Play the game at:

• Stopcarcinogens.be (English)
• Stopcancerigenes.be (Français)
• Stopcarcinogenen.be (Nederlands)

How to play the game

In the game, you take on the role of prevention advisor. You will need to identify potential unsafe situations involving carcinogenic substances in specific work environments (a construction site, a hospital and a factory) and advise your employer.

Upon clicking on a location, you will first be shown a short introductory video. Next, you can walk around several rooms by clicking on the arrows. Each time, look around carefully and identify all dangerous situations. These can be found behind a number of question marks.

After you have indicated all the risks, you get an overview of the correct workspace with the correct information.

Educational information package

To facilitate the integration of the game into the curriculum, an educational information package is accessible for teachers and schools. The information provided delves deeper into a number of concepts covered in the game. These resources can serve as teaching materials and thus complement the game.

The following documents are available (also available in Dutch and French):

Deep dive into the fact sheets

To learn more about specific cancer-causing agents, we also refer you to the easy-to-understand fact sheets, where you will find information about:

  • Where risks occur
  • Information about the substance
  • Symptoms
  • What you can do
  • Exposure limit values

To the factsheets

STOP-principle

One of the most important ideas put forward by the game is the STOP-principle. This prevention principle sets out an exact order of protective measures to be taken to minimise dangerous exposure to carcinogens.

Published August 14, 2024
Relevance
Sector(s) involved:
Accommodation and food service activities
Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies
Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use
Administrative and support service activities
Agents involved in the sale of food, beverages and tobacco
Agents involved in the sale of textiles, clothing, fur, footwear and leather goods
Agriculture
All sectors
Animal production
Arts
Building completion and finishing
Building of ships and boats
Casting of light metals
Casting of other non-ferrous metals
Civil engineering
Cold forming or folding
Collection of hazardous waste
Construction
Construction of buildings
Construction of residential and non-residential buildings
Construction of roads and railways
Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities
Cutting, shaping and finishing of stone
Defence activities
Demolition
Dental practice activities
Education
Electric power generation
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution
Electrical, plumbing and other construction installation activities
Electricity
entertainment and recreation
except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials
Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas
Financial and insurance activities
Finishing of textiles
Fire service activities
Food packaging inks
forestry and fishing
Forestry and logging
Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal; powder metallurgy
Heat and air conditioning installation
Hospital activities
Human health and social work activities
Information and communication
Lead
Lead, zinc and tin production
Machining (incl. service life of hard-metal tools)
Maintenance and repair
Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles
Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery
Manufacture of basic chemicals
Manufacture of basic iron and steel and of ferro-alloys
Manufacture of basic metals
Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical preparations
Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products
Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations
Manufacture of batteries and accumulators
Manufacture of builders ware of plastic
Manufacture of ceramic tiles and flags
Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products
Manufacture of computer electronic and optical products
Manufacture of computer, electronics and optical equipment
Manufacture of doors and windows of metal
Manufacture of dyes and pigments
Manufacture of electronic components and boards
Manufacture of electronical equipement
Manufacture of engines and turbines
Manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines
Manufacture of fabricated metal products
Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment
Manufacture of fertilisers and nitrogen compounds
Manufacture of food products
Manufacture of footwear
Manufacture of furniture
Manufacture of glass and glass products
Manufacture of glue
Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring
Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, testing and navigation incl humidity indicator cards
Manufacture of jewellery, bijouterie and related articles
Manufacture of machinery
Manufacture of machinery and equipment
Manufacture of magnetic and optical media
Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and supplies
Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers
Manufacture of musical instruments
Manufacture of other articles of concrete, plaster and cement
Manufacture of other chemical products n.e.c. (incl. catalysts)
Manufacture of other electronic and electric wires and cables
Manufacture of other fabricated metal products [incl. additive manufacturing]
Manufacture of other fabricated metal products n.e.c.
Manufacture of other inorganic basic chemicals
Manufacture of other organic basic chemicals
Manufacture of other porcelain and ceramic products
Manufacture of other rubber products
Manufacture of other transport equipment
Manufacture of paints and coatings
Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics (incl. frits)
Manufacture of paper and paper products
Manufacture of paper and paperboard
Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations
Manufacture of pesticides and other agrochemical products
Manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations
Manufacture of pharmaceutical products
Manufacture of plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles
Manufacture of plastic raw materials
Manufacture of plastics and rubber machinery
Manufacture of plastics and rubber products
Manufacture of plastics in primary forms
Manufacture of plastics products
Manufacture of prepared feeds for farm animals
Manufacture of refined petroleum products
Manufacture of refined petroleum products (catalysts)
Manufacture of rubber tyres and tubes; retreading and rebuilding of rubber tyres
Manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and toilet preparations
Manufacture of steam generators, except central heating hot water boilers
Manufacture of synthetic rubber in primary forms
Manufacture of textiles
Manufacture of tools
manufacture of wire products, chain and springs
Manufacture of wiring and wiring devices
Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork
Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials
Manufacture of wood and wood products
Manufacturing
Materials recovery
Medical and dental practice activities
Mining and quarrying
Mining of other non-ferrous metal ores
new sector
Oil refining
Other building and industrial cleaning activities
Other cleaning activities
Other non-ferrous metal production
Other service activities
Paint and varnish industry
Painting and glazing
Plumbing
Plumbing, heat and air conditioning installation
Printing and reproduction of recorded media
Printing ink and mastics (incl. frits)
Professional
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
Public administration and national defence
Real estate activities
Recovery of sorted materials
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
Research and development
Roofing activities
Scientific and technical activities
Scientific research and development
Shaping and finishing of stone
Specialist medical practice activities
Stamping and roll-forming of metal; powder metallurgy
Steam and air conditioning supply
Tanning and dressing of leather; dressing and dyeing of fur
Technical testing and analysis
Testing and navigation incl. humidity indicator cards
Transportation and storage
Treatment and coating of metals
Treatment and disposal of hazardous waste
Treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste
Tubes and profiles
Varnishes and similar coatings
Vehicle and cycle engines
Veterinary activities
Waste collection
Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities materials recovery
waste management and remediation activities
Water collection, treatment and supply
water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
Water supply; sewerage
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
Wholesale of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products
Zinc and tin production
General facts

Facts about cancer-causing agents:

  • The direct costs of carcinogen exposure at work across Europe are estimated at 2.4 billion Euros per year.
  • Every year, about 120.000 persons get cancer from exposure to carcinogens at work
  • Annually more than 100.000 people die because of work-related cancer.