Exposure To Hazardous Substances, Biological Risks And Communicable Disease

The risk

Exposure to hazardous substances and biological risks is an occupational safety and health risk facing transport workers, and, as a result, the resilience of transport supply chains.

Workers operate in environments – including ports, terminals, warehouses, vessels, airports and aircraft – where they can be exposed to chemicals, fumes, fuels, dust, infectious diseases and harmful substances. Through cargo handling, cleaning, fuelling, maintenance, passenger-facing roles and daily operations, exposure to hazardous substances, biological risks and communicable diseases can cause acute illness as well as long-term health risks if not properly controlled. 

Workers who interact with large numbers of passengers or who travel across borders may face heightened exposure to communicable diseases, particularly in confined or enclosed spaces such as vehicle cabs, vessels and aircraft cabins. These risks are compounded when access to healthcare, sick pay or social protections is inconsistent, especially for mobile, migrant or precariously employed workers operating across jurisdictions or engaged through subcontracting arrangements.

Protecting workers from hazardous and biological risks is essential to safeguarding workers’ health, maintaining operational continuity and reducing legal and reputational risk.

 

What companies and supply chain actors must do

Companies and supply chain actors must recognise that these risks are not incidental but inherent to transport.

As part of HRDD, companies must assess and identify where, when and how workers may be exposed to hazardous substances or biological risks and ensure that robust preventive controls are implemented across direct, contracted and subcontracted operations.

Companies and supply chain actors must ensure that all workers in their supply chain, regardless of employment status, have access to occupational safety and health protections, appropriate personal protective equipment and clear reporting mechanisms and access to healthcare if required.

Effective prevention requires engagement with workers and trade unions, including the ITF and its affiliated unions, to identify risks, monitor protections and ensure consistent health and safety standards across supply chains. Companies must take prompt corrective action where risks are identified, strengthening controls and ensuring affected workers receive appropriate protection and support.