PREVENTING ASTHMA: ESSEX HOSPITAL TRUST WINS EUROPEAN HEALTH AND SAFETY AWARD

HSE press release E236:03 - 24 November 2003

Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust has won a major European award for good practice in safety and health at work. The award recognised the Trust for removing the hazardous chemical substance, glutaraldehyde, a cause of asthma, and replacing it with a far safer non-toxic alternative. Nigel Holt, the Trust's Risk Manager, collected the award during the ceremony at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain on 24 November.

He said: "The Trust started to look for a safer alternative to glutaraldehyde when it became clear that long term exposure could pose health problems to staff. Meanwhile, using glutaraldehyde safely was creating ever-increasing costs. Its removal was unanimously welcomed by staff, who noticed an immediate improvement in their working environment. Patients also benefit as the equipment used during surgery is now subjected to high-level disinfection, meeting all microbiological requirements."

Glutaraldehyde has been widely used as the chemical sterilant of first choice to clean principally endoscopy instruments used in hospitals. The Trust has now moved to using an oxidised saline solution system to sterilize its endoscopes.

John Thompson, Head of HSE's Chemical & Flammables Policy Division, also attended the ceremony and said: " This is an excellent example of a hospital trust protecting its staff from the serious health risks caused by using glutaraldehyde - a major cause of occupational asthma. I warmly congratulate them. Their decision to change from glutaraldehyde to a safer substitute was taken after looking carefully at the alternatives.

"They made sure that the alternative would sterilise the examination instruments as effectively, so they are protecting both their patients and their staff. Essex Rivers Healthcare are signalling that the days of nurses and other staff suffering the serious side effects of occupational asthma caused by breathing in the fumes from this hazardous chemical are numbered."

The awards were made by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work to recognise organisations that have made outstanding or innovative contributions to the protection of workers from dangerous substances. The awards, part of the European Week for Safety and Health at Work, which took place in October, involved thousands of organisations across the European Union.

Director of the European Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky said "Dangerous substances need to be handled with care - this has been the main message of this year's European Week for Safety and Health at Work. As the awards clearly demonstrate, the potential risks can be successfully transferred to other countries and help make workplaces more safe, healthy and productive."

Two British companies were also recognised by the Agency. Commendations were made to Kent Art Printers of Chatham, for their removal of alcohol from the lithographic print process, and to Baggeridge Brick plc of Kidderminster for their installation of water suppression units.

Notes to editors

1. The awards are in their fourth year. Each year focuses on one aspect of health and safety. The 2002 awards recognised good practice in the prevention of work-related stress.

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