In 2022, 35 ODs were reported: 83% of them are diseases and cancers related to asbestos (vs 81%, 52%, 59% and 61% respectively in 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018).
Two main types of ODs have been defined, based on the time period before their onset:
(1) long-latency occupational diseases, are work-related cancers or other diseases that can arise decades after exposure (mainly to chemicals). They are usually linked to work environments or activities in the remote past which are no longer present today. They are often undiagnosed until they result in serious health impairment, permanent disability or premature death.
At Solvay, while they have represented an average of 70% of the recognized diseases before 2020 (mostly asbestos-related, in European countries), they accounted for 86% in 2022 (vs 91% in 2021 and 55% in 2020). Current health and hygiene prevention measures have no direct impact on these figures today, but they may have an impact on the onset of this type of ODs in the future decades.
(2) Conversely, short/mid-latency occupational diseases are diseases which appear relatively few months or years after the occupational exposure to a causal agent (e.g. noise, ergonomic stressors, chemicals, etc.). The incidence of this type of ODs reflects the present work environments at the Solvay sites, and is a useful indicator for implementing possible corrective measures where it is needed, or adapting the risk-related health surveillance.
At Solvay, musculoskeletal disorders are the most common ODs in this category and they represented 14% of the total ODs recognized (vs 0% in 2021, 5% in 2020 and 20% in 2019).
In 2022, there was only 1 recognized short latency OD (like in 2021), and 6 Long latency ODs (vs 10 in 2021).
