New approved code of practice to help prevent occupational asthma

HSE Press Release E241:02 - 19 December 2002

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a new Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) to help ensure substances that cause occupational asthma are properly controlled by employers.

Occupational asthma is the most frequently diagnosed respiratory disease in Great Britain. HSE estimates that between 1,500 and 3,000 people develop it every year.

The costs to society of new cases of the disease over the next ten years are estimated to be between £579 million and £1,159 million. Some sufferers cannot work again and others may have to change jobs to avoid exposure to the substance that caused the asthma. They may no longer be able to use their specialist skills or may face a restricted lifestyle.

Control of Substances that Cause Occupational Asthma, part of the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) campaign to reduce occupational asthma by 30 per cent by 2010, has been combined with the recently published revised Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, ACoP (COSHH), avoiding the need for employers to purchase a second priced publication.

John Thompson, head of chemical policy at HSE, said:

"It will surprise many to know that seemingly innocent substances like flour or wood dust can become major health hazards. With proper control measures in the workplace, occupational asthma is entirely preventable. Employers must act now to prevent this debilitating disease.

"Spray painting in the motor vehicle repair industry, involving a group of substances called isocyanates, is the most common cause of the disease. Exposure to tiny particles of flour dust in bakeries or wood dust in woodworking, and vapour from glutaraldehyde - a sterilising solution used in hospitals - are other leading causes."

The ACoP outlines what the law requires to ensure that these substances are properly controlled. Particular attention should be given to identifying and assessing controls for short-term tasks involving very high exposures. All employees exposed or liable to be exposed to a substance that may cause occupational asthma should be under health surveillance and if an individual develops the disease, their exposure must be controlled to prevent triggering further attacks.

Notes to editors

1.

Occupational asthma is caused by workers breathing in substances at work which produce a hypersensitive state in the airways. The symptoms include wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath. Once asthma has been induced, further exposure to the substance, even relatively low levels, may provoke an attack. These symptoms can develop immediately or several hours after exposure.

2.

The total annual number of new cases of occupational asthma reported under the Surveillance of Work-Related Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) scheme has remained broadly constant for several years. Allowing for under-reporting, since many cases are not seen by an occupational chest physician, HSE estimates that there is a minimum of 1,500 new cases each year. Looking wider, that is including either occupational caused asthma or asthma made worse by work, there may be up to 7,000 cases of work-related asthma a year. While the ACoP focuses on occupational asthma, HSC's strategy will also address work-related asthma.

3.

The most common causes of occupational asthma are: Isocyanates; Flour dust; Grain dust; Glutaraldehyde; Wood dust; Latex (natural rubber latex); Solder/Colophony; Laboratory animals; Glues & Resins.

4.

Building on the success of electronic COSHH Essentials (www.coshh-essentials.org.uk), HSE plans to make freely available control guidance sheets aimed at particular sectors for the leading causes of occupational asthma. An HSE asthma website is also under development.

5. Control of Substances that Cause Occupational Asthma has been published at Appendix 3 of COSHH 2002

Copies of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (Fourth Edition) Approved Code of Practice And Guidance L5, ISBN 0 7176 2534 6; price £10.50, are available from HSE Books.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office