A/HRC/20/15 41. Exposure to pesticides has been linked to various acute and chronic toxic illnesses, including a number of cancers.37 Despite this, in many countries the law does not require pesticide use labels to be printed in languages understood by migrant workers in the jurisdiction.38 As a result, migrant agricultural workers suffer from high rates of toxic chemical injuries and skin disorders compared to other workers. 39 Moreover, there are strong indications that efforts to regulate the distribution, application and disposure of such pesticides have been ineffective in reducing exposure. 40 Such regulations are deficient in scope and under-enforced in both the developed and the developing world. 42. Emerging technologies pose a unique challenge to the prevention and reduction of exposure to harmful substances. The rapid development of new substances and market pressures have meant that extensive testing and study of these materials for long-term effects is often impractical. As a result, workers may be exposed to as yet undetected health risks.41 Emerging risks in the nano-technology field have received much needed attention in light of studies suggesting that exposure to nano-particles may have toxic and carcinogenic effects on lung tissue.42 In accordance with the precautionary principle, States must restrict the use of such technologies in the workplace until their health effects have been accurately assessed and communicated to workers. 43. The right to occupational health additionally requires States to work towards the minimization of hazards in the workplace. This recognizes that some hazards may be inherent to the occupation or workplace environment. For example, work in the textile and apparel industry is often laborious and of a highly repetitive nature, predisposing workers to musculoskeletal disorders, particularly repetitive strain injuries. 43 Similarly, agricultural workers are exposed to harsh natural conditions and have heavy physical workloads, which may lead to thermal stress and musculoskeletal disorders.44 States must take steps to minimize, as far as reasonably practical, the resulting harm. Where hazards exist they should be identified and workers should be made aware of the risks of exposure. Workers should be empowered to determine when hazards pose a risk to their health that they deem 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 14 Michael C.R. Alavanja, Jane A. Hoppin and Freya Kamel, “Health effects of chronic pesticide exposure: Cancer and neurotoxicity,” Annual Review of Public Health, vol. 25 (April 2004), pp. 155197. Pesticide Action Network, Communities in peril: Global report on health impacts of pesticide use in agriculture, (Malaysia, 2010), p. 52. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Worker Health Chartbook, 2004 (Washington, D.C., September 2004). See Beti Thompson and others, “Pesticide take-home pathway among children of agricultural workers: Study design, methods, and baseline findings,” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, vol. 45, No. 1 (January 2003), pp. 42-53; Cynthia L. Curl and others, “Evaluation of takehome organophosphorus pesticide exposure among agricultural workers and their children,” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 110, No. 12 (December 2002), pp. 787-792. ILO, ILO Introductory Report: Global trends and challenges on occupational safety and health, XIX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, Istanbul, Turkey, September 2011(Geneva, 2011), p. 19. European Risk Observatory, Workplace exposure to nanoparticles (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2010). Robin Herbert and Rebecca Plattus, “Health effects and environmental issues,” ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety vol. 3, part XIV, chapter 87 (1998), available at http://www.ilo.org/safework_bookshelf/english?d&nd=170000102&nh=0. Melvin Myers, “Health problems and disease patterns in agriculture,” ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, vol. 3, part X, Chapter 64 (1998), available at http://www.ilo.org/safework_bookshelf/english?d&nd=170000102&nh=0; Eric Hansen and Martin Donohoe, “Health issues of migrant and seasonal farmworkers,” Guest Editorial, Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, vol. 14, No. 2 (2003), pp 157-160.