Work practices lead to high UK asthma rate

Seven thousand people develop asthma because of their work every year, according to new Trades Union Congress figures.

The TUC posted their latest report ahead of World Asthma Day on May 7 which shows the UK has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world.

TUC General Secretary John Monks said: “Asthma can be a debilitating and painful condition that really restricts people’s lives - and it can often mean they have to give up their career and their livelihood.

“Employers lose out too, because the people who get asthma at work tend to be highly skilled and costly to replace. Our training for workplace safety reps will help them work in partnership with their employers to remove or control the risks of asthma, creating healthier workers in healthier workplaces.”

Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the National Asthma Campaign said: “We are delighted that the TUC has launched these valuable training materials that will help reduce the level of occupational asthma. This will not only enhance the quality of life of people with asthma, but will also improve reporting and prevention of asthma in the workplace.”

Altogether there are about 3.7 million adults with asthma in Great Britain, of whom the TUC estimates over 10 per cent have asthma caused by work.

The main causes of asthma at work are: latex gloves, flour dust in bakeries, isocyanates used in painting and other processes, laboratory animals, solder fumes, wood dust, glutaraldehyde (used as a disinfectant), glues and resins. Workers most at risk of exposure include nurses, woodworkers and painters and lab technicians.

This summer, the Health and Safety Commission is introducing a new, legally binding Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) on the control of substances that cause occupational asthma.

The new law will bring home to employers that the law requires them to ensure substances that cause occupational asthma are properly controlled.

(AMcE)