The Helsinki Criteria for diagnosis and Attribution was established in 1997 by a group of scientists (meeting in Helsinki) concerned with asbestos exposure and the impact of asbestos fibres on a person’s health. As a result of this conference a fibre ml level of 25 fibre/ml years was deemed to be the level upon which asbestosis or lung cancer could be deemed as being caused by asbestos exposure. This is now known as “the Helsinki Criteria”.
To satisfy the Helsinki criteria an asbestos victim must show that his exposure was above 25 fibre/ml years. This level of exposure can be accrued in a number of ways, i.e. 1 years exposure at 25 fibre/ml or 5 years exposure at 5 fibre/ml per year. In general terms a year of substantial exposure or a longer term of moderate exposure is required to satisfy the criteria.
The Helsinki Criteria was updated in 2014 with the consensus Asbestos, Asbestosis and Cancer: the Helsinki Criteria for Diagnosis and Attribution 2014 being produced.
The Helsinki Declaration on Management and Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases was adopted by the International Conference on Monitoring and Surveillance of Asbestos-Related Diseases (10-13 February 2014, Espoo, Finland), calling for joint international actions for extension and implementation of the global asbestos ban in all countries and protection of workers being currently exposed, as guided by WHO, ILO and ICOH as well.