HSE press release E202:03 - 14 October 2003
Des Browne MP, Minister for Work and Pensions today launched the latest Health & Safety Executive (HSE) website pages to raise awareness of reactions to natural rubber latex in a bid to combat this serious cause of Occupational Asthma.
The launch of the new website pages www.hse.gov.uk/latex is part of the European Week for Safety and Health at Work 13-18 October and was launched at an Asthma Workshop organised by the Professional Organisations in Occupational Safety and Health (POOSH) in Regents College, London.
The idea of a specific web page on latex, was prompted by a group of asthma sufferers and will help health care professionals avoid getting occupational asthma from their use of natural rubber latex products.
Head of HSE's Occupational Health Policy, Sandra Caldwell said: "Too many health care staff have not been aware of the potentially life threatening side effects of using some types of natural rubber latex gloves - gloves which are intended to protect them. In the most serious cases it can result in a potentially fatal anaphylactic shock. Last week at the European Week launch Aleks Kinay raised the very real effect asthma has had on her life.
"This is a serious problem. We estimate 7,000 cases of asthma are caused or made worse by work each year. Allergy to the proteins in natural rubber latex is the fifth largest occupational cause of asthma. Raising this issue is important because for many people once sensitised, their lives are a misery and they have to give up work."
Sandra Caldwell chaired the Asthma workshop where the keynote speaker was Hans Horst Konkolewsky, Director of the European Safety and Health Agency, in Bilbao, Spain.
1. This year's European Week for Safety and Health runs from October 13 to 18. It was launched by Department of Work and Pensions Minister, Des Browne, MP, who has responsibility for health and safety, and Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC). Bud Hudspith, a Trade Union Council nominee on the HSC's Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances demonstrated e-COSHH Essentials at the launch. Aleks Kinay, Chair of the Latex Allergy Support Group, described her own experiences of latex allergy and occupational asthma. Her personal case study is available. More information is also available on Alison Dugmore, a nurse who is now virtually housebound by her allergy.
2. The seven top causes of Occupational Asthma are from exposure to: Isocyanates, Flour and Grain, Glutaraldehyde, Wood Dust, Latex, Solder/Colophony and Glues & Resins.
3. A leaflet/poster highlighting the dangers of Isocyanates in the motor vehicle industry was also launched at the conference. Press release E203:03.
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