Abseiling for asthma

HSE press release: E069:03 - 1 May 2003

A four strong team of normally desk bound Health and Safety Executive (HSE) administrators will join 60 to 70 volunteers to abseil 15m down the side of the Tate Modern Gallery, to raise awareness of Occupational Asthma.

The sponsored abseil, at 10.30am on World Asthma Day (Tuesday May 6) has been organised by the National Asthma Campaign to raise money to help fight asthma.

The HSE team will highlight the risks of occupational asthma, which is Britain's most frequently diagnosed occupational respiratory disease, with between 1,500 and 3,000 people developing it every year.

Andrew Maxey, part of HSE's asthma project team, and one of the abseilers, said: "We thought we should do what we can to demonstrate our commitment to getting rid of occupational asthma. So when this opportunity came up we jumped at it.

"It is important to raise public awareness of occupational asthma, which can be easily prevented. As a member of HSE's project team dealing with occupational asthma, our work clearly fits well with wider research aimed at conquering all types of asthma."

The costs to society of new cases of occupational asthma 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.

Donna Covey, chief executive of the National Asthma Campaign, said: " We are very grateful that four members of staff from HSE have accepted the challenge and are going to abseil for the National Asthma Campaign on World Asthma Day. By doing this, they will be helping to raise funds towards vital asthma research and raising the profile of occupational asthma. We wish them good luck!"

Notes to editors

1. Andrew Maxey will be joined on the abseil by Louise Jones, Paul Herns and Brian Trevette, from HSE, as well as Chris Beach, of London Underground and a member of the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) Asthma Project Board.

2. The HSE team who will be dressed in white overalls with the HSE logo will arrive on site at 10am to prepare for the abseil, which starts at 10.30am on Tuesday 6 May 2003 at the Tate Modern, South Bank, London.

3. HSE launched a website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma with advice on how to reduce occupational asthma in March. Aimed at employers, safety representatives and health professionals, the website is part of HSE's campaign to reduce occupational asthma by 30 per cent by 2010.

4. 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.

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