Every breath you take action on occupational asthma
1. Every breath you take
CHRIS BEACH
Dip.Occ.Hyg CMIOSH CFFOH
Chris Beach Associates Ltd
17 June 2014
2. What is Occupational Asthma?
Asthma is characterised by periodic attacks of
wheezing, chest tightness or breathlessness
resulting from constriction of the airways.
A substance is considered to cause occupational
asthma if, as a result of exposures in the
workplace, it both:
•produces the biological change known as the
hypersensitive state in the airways; and
•triggers a subsequent reaction in those airways
5. Causes of Occupational Asthma
Isocyanates in paint spraying & foam making
Flour and enzymes in bakeries
Also: Solder fume – animal dander – wood dust
– silica - chloramines – hard metals – weld fume
– surgical smoke
Latency: Can be up to 20 years after first
exposure
6. Is it an Asthmagen?
• COSHH Regulation 2(1) includes a definition of
‘The CLP Regulation’
• The risk phrase R42 will be replaced by H334 –
may cause allergy or asthma symptoms or
breathing difficulties if inhaled
• Asthmagen? Critical assessments of the
evidence for agents implicated in OA
7. What must I do?
• The Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health Regulations 2002 (as amended)
• Regulation 6 Assessment of the risk to health
created by work involving substances
hazardous to health
• Regulation 7 Prevention or control of exposure
to substances hazardous to health
8. What must I do? cont.
• exposure shall only be treated as adequate if –
(a) the principles of good practice are applied
(b)any WEL for that substance is not exceeded
(c) for a substance which carries the risk phrase
R45 … exposure is reduced to as low a level
as is reasonably practicable.
9. Questions & comments to : christopher.beach@talk21.com
More information : http://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma
Assistance : www.bohs.org
