Thousands of people die from work-related lung diseases every year, in many cases due to exposures that took place many years before. Breathing in certain dusts, gases, fumes and vapours in the workplace can cause serious, long-term lung damage.
Diseases like, asbestosis, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, emphysema and even lung cancer, all cause severe, often incurable, health problems that can ruin lives.
This page explains these diseases and how they can be caused at work. There is separate guidance on preventing work-related lung disease and getting specialist help.
Silicosis
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is found in stone, rocks, sands and clays. Exposure to RCS over a long period can cause fibrosis (hardening or scarring) of the lung tissue with a consequent loss of lung function.
You can find detailed guidance on how to protect workers from silicosis.
Pneumoconiosis
The term 'pneumoconiosis' refers to a group of lung diseases caused by the inhalation of dusts and their retention in the lungs. The most commonly occurring types of pneumoconiosis (apart from asbestosis) are:
- coal worker's pneumoconiosis, arising from the inhalation of coal dust
- silicosis, arising from the inhalation of respirable crystalline silica (RCS)
There is a long delay - up to 10 years or more - between exposure and onset of disease, so most new cases or deaths from pneumoconiosis reflect the working conditions of the past and occur in people who have retired.
Pneumoconiosis cases can be classified in 4 groups:
- coal worker's pneumoconiosis
- asbestosis
- silicosis
- other unspecified pneumoconiosis
Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA) refers to a group of lung diseases that can develop after exposure to certain substances. The name describes the origin and the nature of these diseases:
- 'extrinsic' - caused by something originating outside the body
- 'allergic' - an abnormally increased (hypersensitive) body reaction to a common substance
- 'alveolitis' - inflammation in the small air sacs of the lungs (alveoli)
Symptoms can include fever, cough, worsening breathlessness and weight loss. The diagnosis of the disease is based on a history of symptoms after exposure to the allergen and a range of clinical tests which usually includes X-rays or CT scans, as well as lung function and blood tests.
EAA is not a 'new' occupational respiratory disease and occupational causes include bacteria, fungi, animal proteins, plants and chemicals.
Farmer's lung
This is probably the most common occupational form of EAA and is the outcome of an allergic response to a group of microbes, which form mould on vegetable matter in storage. During the handling of mouldy straw, hay or grain, particularly in a confined space such as a poorly ventilated building, inhalation of spores and other antigenic material is very likely.
There also appears to be a clear relationship between water content of crops, heating (through mould production) and microbial growth, and this would apply to various crops and vegetable matter, with the spores produced likely to cause EAA.
Farmer's lung can be prevented by drying crops adequately before storage and by ensuring good ventilation during storage. Respiratory protection should also be worn by farm workers when handling stored crops, particularly if they have been stored damp or are likely to be mouldy.
Find out about disposable dust masks to prevent farmer’s lung.
Metal working fluid and EAA
Exposure to contaminated metal working fluid (MWF) has been responsible for workplace outbreaks of EAA.
MWF, also referred to as suds, coolant, slurry or soap, is a generic term covering a wide variety of fluids used as lubricants or coolants for metal machining processes such as drilling, milling and turning.
Exposure to MWF can occur by direct contact with the skin, which can give rise to contact dermatitis, or by inhalation of MWF mist generated during machining. The greatest risk of respiratory symptoms is in people working with water-mix MWF.
In addition to EAA, contaminated MWF exposure has been more strongly associated with the development of occupational asthma, as well as other rarer occupational lung diseases such as lipoid pneumonia and bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
Find out more
HSE has resources on work-related lung disease with details of publications, case studies, videos and statistics.