Summary: workshop on health risks attributable to ETS exposure in the workplace

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Environmental Health
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• This 1998 workshop addressed health risks associated with workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
• It followed a 1997 workshop focusing on ETS exposure issues in work environments.
• A multidisciplinary group convened to review evidence on quantitative health risks from ETS.

Framework:

• To recommend health outcomes for inclusion in workplace ETS health risk assessments.
• To evaluate the validity of available studies on occupational ETS exposure and health outcomes.
• To review and assess mathematical and dose-response models for estimating ETS health risks.

Implementation:

• Participants reviewed quantitative evidence on ETS health risks.
• Methodologies for future risk assessment were discussed.
• Validity of data for estimating occupational ETS exposure risks was evaluated.

Implications:

• Recommendations were made for assessing health risks from workplace ETS exposure.
• The workshop advanced the understanding of ETS health impacts in occupational settings.
• It provided a foundation for improved risk characterization and management of ETS in the workplace.