Historical HSE-funded research attributed 59 lung cancer deaths in Great Britain in 2005 to occupational chromium exposure. This guide sets that dated estimate alongside current Great Britain exposure limits and evidence on chromium-related work.

Hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), occurs in compounds with different solubilities and is used in some plating, paints and pigments. It can also be generated in stainless-steel welding fume. Leather tanning commonly uses trivalent chromium, although Cr(VI) contamination can arise. This guide distinguishes historical cancer estimates, cohort studies and current control requirements.

Key facts and figures

  • ~59 occupational lung cancer deaths a year in Great Britain are attributed to chromium (43 men + 16 women), 2005 reference year.
  • ~67 occupational lung cancer registrations a year are attributed to chromium (49 men + 18 women), 2004 reference year.
  • ~687,000 GB workers were estimated ever exposed to chromium during the historical risk-exposure period used in the 2005 cancer-burden model; this is not a current workforce count.
  • 0.010 mg/m³ is the current GB workplace exposure limit for Cr(VI) compounds (8-hour TWA, non-process-generated), effective 17 January 2020.
  • Group 1 — IARC classifies hexavalent chromium compounds as carcinogenic to humans; the US NTP separately lists them as known human carcinogens.
  • SMR 185 — male chrome platers in a Yorkshire cohort had a lung cancer standardised mortality ratio of 185 (60 observed vs 32.5 expected).
  • 1986 — the specific lung cancer prescription involving zinc, calcium or strontium chromate was introduced; this is not the start date of every chromium-related benefit prescription.
  • 0.18% of all GB lung cancers are attributable to occupational chromium exposure (95% CI 0.12–0.25%).

Checked on 15 October 2026. The chromium-specific burden figures below are historical estimates for 2004–2005, not current annual surveillance counts. Current exposure limits are checked against HSE EH40; the 2025 IIAC-commissioned review provides additional research context.

How many UK lung cancer cases does chromium cause each year?

HSE-funded research published in 2012 attributed 59 lung cancer deaths in Great Britain in 2005 to occupational chromium exposure: 43 men and 16 women. It attributed 67 registrations in 2004, including 49 men and 18 women. These are historical model estimates. HSE’s newer top-ten-agent tables do not separately list chromium, so they do not supply a replacement chromium-specific annual total.

The same historical research estimated attributable fractions of 0.22% for male lung cancers, 0.11% for female lung cancers and 0.18% overall (95% confidence interval 0.12–0.25%). These refer to all lung cancers within that study’s population and period. Applying them casually to a current UK death total would mix geography, period and model assumptions.

MeasureFigureData period
Occupational lung cancer deaths attributed to chromium~59 a year (43 M + 16 F)2005 reference year (HSE burden)
Occupational lung cancer registrations attributed to chromium~67 a year (49 M + 18 F)2004 reference year (HSE burden)
Attributable fraction — male lung cancers0.22%HSE RR858 / Br J Cancer 2012
Attributable fraction — female lung cancers0.11%HSE RR858 / Br J Cancer 2012
Overall attributable fraction — GB lung cancer~0.18% (95% CI 0.12–0.25%)HSE RR858 / Br J Cancer 2012

How many UK workers are exposed to hexavalent chromium?

An estimated 687,000 workers in Great Britain were “ever exposed” to chromium over the risk-exposure period used in HSE’s occupational cancer burden work — about 444,000 men and 243,000 women. That is a cumulative, historical measure of everyone who passed through an exposed job during the relevant window, not a snapshot of who is exposed today, so it is best read as an indicator of the scale of the exposed population rather than a current headcount.

The European CAREX database estimated 785,692 workers exposed to hexavalent chromium across its 1990–1993 EU baseline. Later HBM4EU fieldwork in 2017–2019 measured exposure in nine countries, including the UK. These studies demonstrate relevant exposure settings but are not current UK headcounts. Assess both supplied compounds and Cr(VI) generated by a process.

What is the UK workplace exposure limit for hexavalent chromium?

HSE’s current EH40 table gives eight-hour WELs, expressed as chromium, of 0.01 mg/m³ for chromium(VI) compounds and 0.025 mg/m³ where process-generated, such as welding fume. The older 0.05 mg/m³ value in the 2013 Chromium and You leaflet is superseded. Chromium(II) and chromium(III) compounds have separate 0.5 mg/m³ limits. These Great Britain values should not be confused with another jurisdiction’s limits.

Because Cr(VI) is a carcinogen, meeting the WEL is not the end of the duty: under the COSHH Regulations exposure to a carcinogen must be reduced as low as is reasonably practicable, well below the limit wherever possible, following the hierarchy of control — substitution and engineering controls such as tank extraction and local exhaust ventilation before reliance on respiratory protective equipment.

Substance / basisWorkplace exposure limit (8-hr TWA)Status
Cr(VI) compounds — non-process-generated0.010 mg/m³Current (effective 17 Jan 2020)
Cr(VI) compounds — process-generated (e.g. welding fume)0.025 mg/m³Current (effective 17 Jan 2020)
Cr(VI) compounds — previous single WEL0.05 mg/m³Superseded (still shown in INDG346 rev1, 2013)
Chromium(II) and chromium(III) compounds, as Cr0.5 mg/m³Current

Which jobs have the highest hexavalent chromium exposure?

Hexavalent — Chromium Cr(VI) — Statistics UK — ~59 — lung-cancer deaths attributed to Cr(VI) · GB, 2005

Chromate production, plating, chromate painting and stainless-steel welding are important exposure settings, but the studies below are not a current ranking. A historical UK chromate-production cohort of 2,298 workers had a lung cancer SMR of 1.97 (95% CI 1.59–2.28), increasing to 2.45 in its higher-exposure jobs. The Yorkshire plating cohort recorded 60 male lung cancer deaths against 32.5 expected, SMR 185 on a scale where 100 is the reference. The studies differ in exposure, follow-up and confounding information.

A 2019 meta-analysis covering 44 cohorts for respiratory cancers estimated a pooled lung cancer SMR of 1.31 (95% CI 1.17–1.47). Its occupational subgroup differences do not establish the risk for a particular present-day workplace. Note the scaling: SMR 185 in the Yorkshire study corresponds to 1.85 where the reference is expressed as 1.

Cohort / studyLung cancer risk measureDetail
UK chromate production (Davies et al. 1991)SMR 1.97 (95% CI 1.59–2.28)2,298 workers, 3 factories; 2.45 in high-exposure jobs
UK chrome plating (Sorahan & Harrington 2000)SMR 1851,087 Yorkshire platers; 60 observed vs 32.5 expected (p<0.001)
Meta-analysis (Deng et al. 2019)Pooled SMR 1.31 (95% CI 1.17–1.47)44 cohorts; highest in production, plating, welding

How much hexavalent chromium is in stainless-steel welding fume?

Stainless-steel welding fume can contain chromium(VI) and nickel; composition depends on the process, materials and consumables. HSE identifies these metals among possible causes of occupational asthma, with some processes such as MMA producing more of them. All welding fume, including mild steel, needs suitable control; the absence of chromium does not make a weld safe.

The 2019 HSE safety alert concerned all welding fume, including mild steel. It is not a chromium exposure dataset. Chromium-specific assessment must consider the actual process and compounds, including plating, chromate coatings and stainless-steel work, while the broader welding-fume risk remains relevant.

What are the health effects of hexavalent chromium exposure?

IARC classifies hexavalent chromium compounds as carcinogenic to humans, and NTP lists them as known human carcinogens. The evidence establishes lung cancer risk; evidence for nasal and sinus cancer is more limited. Other effects can include skin sensitisation and ulcers, nasal damage, asthma and kidney effects, depending on the compound and exposure.

Assess whether COSHH health-surveillance criteria apply to the work, including skin and respiratory risks. Medical information and suitable surveillance can complement exposure controls, but do not replace them. Product safety data sheets and HSE guidance inform the assessment; generated welding fume also needs consideration.

Is hexavalent chromium a prescribed disease you can claim for?

IIDB includes chromium poisoning and a specific primary lung cancer prescription involving exposure to zinc, calcium or strontium chromate in their pure forms. The lung cancer prescription was introduced in 1986. Eligibility depends on the prescribed disease, occupation and other scheme conditions; exposure to any chromium compound does not automatically establish entitlement.

The IIAC-commissioned chromium review published on 3 June 2025 examined the evidence and existing prescription. Publication of a research review does not itself amend benefit rules. RIDDOR reporting duties ordinarily fall on the responsible employer or self-employed person, with medical diagnosis informing whether the relevant reporting criteria are met; they do not automatically fall on the diagnosing doctor.

Frequently asked questions

What is the UK workplace exposure limit (WEL) for hexavalent chromium?

The current GB workplace exposure limit for hexavalent chromium compounds is 0.010 mg/m³ (8-hour time-weighted average) for chromium not generated by a process, and 0.025 mg/m³ for process-generated Cr(VI) such as welding fume, both effective from 17 January 2020 under EH40/2005. These replaced the previous single limit of 0.05 mg/m³. Because Cr(VI) is a carcinogen, exposure must still be reduced as low as is reasonably practicable, not merely kept under the limit.

How many UK lung cancer cases are caused by chromium at work each year?

HSE’s occupational cancer burden research attributes around 59 lung cancer deaths a year (43 men, 16 women, 2005 reference year) and about 67 lung cancer registrations a year (49 men, 18 women, 2004 reference year) in Great Britain to occupational chromium exposure. That is an overall attributable fraction of roughly 0.18% of all GB lung cancers.

Which jobs have the highest hexavalent chromium exposure?

Plating, chromate production and painting, and stainless-steel welding can involve Cr(VI) exposure. Historical cohort studies show excess lung cancer risk, but they do not rank today’s workplaces. Exposure measurements and the actual task and controls are needed to assess a particular job.

Is hexavalent chromium a prescribed disease you can claim for in the UK?

IIDB includes chromium poisoning and a specific lung cancer prescription for exposure to zinc, calcium or strontium chromate in their pure forms. The lung cancer prescription dates from 1986. Entitlement depends on the disease, prescribed work and other scheme conditions; a 2025 research review did not itself change the law.

Sources & references

Make sure your team can recognise hexavalent chromium in plating baths, chromate paints and stainless-steel welding fume, and apply the right controls before exposure causes cancer.

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Mark McShane
Mark McShane
Health & Safety Training Specialist, Online CPD Academy

Mark writes about workplace health & safety, COSHH and accredited online training for COSHH Training, part of Online CPD Academy.