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The implications for the prevention of cancer and for health promotion at work is illustrated with two examples from an analysis of cancer mortality by occupation of Swiss men, 1979-1982. The classical approach of industrial medicine to the reduction of pollutants via legislative, technical and informative measures is applied in the case of sinonasal carcinoma and pleural mesothelioma that is increased with furniture-makers. The fact that a comparable cancer mortality pattern linked to miscellaneous factors like smoking, asbestos, cement dust, alcohol, chemicals, nutrition etc. is observed for the various jobs of the building industry, requires an extensive health promotion effort uniting industrial medicine with organizational and individual approaches.

In Swiss public forests about 3600 work accidents occur yearly. These accident rates are higher than in any other branch of industry in Switzerland. Statistical evaluation and investigation of near accidents established great risks for power saw work. The results show that the accident causes are lack of concentration, time pressure, bad weather and general fatigue.