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Workplace Diseases

Workplace Diseases

Occupational Cancer

Occupational cancer may occur as a result of work involving direct exposure to a carcinogen or exposure to a carcinogen produced as part of a work process. There is usually a considerable amount of time (usually more than 10 years) between exposure to a carcinogen and the onset of any ill-health symptoms. Carcinogens occur in many forms, they can be solids, liquids, vapours, gases, or dusts and can be breathed in, absorbed through the skin or swallowed.

Occupational asthma

Occupational asthma is an allergic reaction that can occur in some people when they are exposed to substances, for example flour or wood dust in the workplace. These substances are called 'respiratory sensitisers' or asthmagens. They can cause a change in people’s airways, known as the 'hypersensitive state'. Not everyone who becomes sensitised goes on to get asthma. But once the lungs become hypersensitive, further exposure to the substance, even at quite low levels, may trigger an attack.

Health surveillance

Health surveillance means regularly looking for early signs of work related ill health and putting procedures in place to achieve this.

  • The purpose of health surveillance is to monitor and protect the health of individual employees.
  • Collecting simple information may lead to early detection of ill health caused by work and identify the need for improved control measures.
  • All employees exposed or likely to be exposed to an asthmagen should receive suitable health surveillance.
  • The specific requirements are set out in COSHH and might involve examinations by a doctor or trained nurse.

Occupational skin disease

An occupational skin disease may be defined as a disease in which workplace exposure to a physical, chemical, or biological agent or a mechanical force has been the cause or played a major role in the development of the disease. Put simply occupational skin disease is a disease wholly or partially due to a person’s occupation. It means workers have to come into contact with a hazardous agent(s). Work related dermatitis (sometimes called eczema) is one of the major occupational skin diseases and is caused by a person coming into contact with a hazardous agent(s).

Skin comes into contact with chemicals by;

  • immersing hands (sometimes legs) into chemicals
  • direct handling of contaminated workpieces
  • contact with contaminated surfaces (eg workbench, tools, clothing and containers)
  • splashing (eg when liquid or powdery chemicals are mixed or handled
  • in deposits in the air (eg cement dust)

The following skin diseases are often linked to work place skin exposure to chemicals.

  • contact dermatitis
  • contact urticaria
  • acne
  • pigmentary disorders
  • skin cancer

Bear in mind that these diseases could also develop when people expose their skin to physical agents, biological agents, plants mechanical forces and sun at work. You should remember exposure to these substances can happen during leisure/DIY activities.

Practical action by employers is the key to preventing work related dermatitis caused by chemicals.

A suitable step-by-step action plan may be summarised as follows:

  • For every task undertaken at your workplace, know what products or substances are being used or generated.
  • Find out what are the health and safety hazards associated with each of the substance or product used or generated. Find out whether these substances carry warnings signs and hazard information on dangers to the skin. You can find these on product labels and/or in Safety Data Sheets. SDS must be provided by the supplier of the chemical.
  • Frequent contact with water (wet working) is a major cause of WRD. Some substances (eg: formaldehyde in metal working fluids) may be generated during work and can cause WRD. Take account of wet work and substances generated during work in the next step.
  • Find out which of your employees are exposed to these substances, how does their skin come into contact, for how long and the frequency.
  • Find out what control measure you have in place.
  • Based on these make a judgement whether your employees are at risk of getting work related dermatitis.
  • If there is a risk of WRD, can you get rid of the chemical altogether? This is the best and simplest solution.
  • If you cannot get rid of the offending chemical, can you able to replace it with a less harmful chemical. Seek the advice of your Trade Association.
  • Introduce process controls so that skin does not come into contact with the chemical. If the contact is by immersion, or splash find a solution that would provide a safe working distance (SWD) between the chemical and the skin.
  • If the exposure is due to dust, vapour in the air, install a ventilated enclosure or provide local exhaust ventilation. Consult “COSHH Essentials”. (http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/essentials/index.htm) It is likely to provide a suitable engineering control for your task.
  • If you have provided all the above controls and you consider that skin exposure could not be prevented altogether, then provide chemical protective gloves and coverall as appropriate. Selection of gloves is a complicated process. Always seek the help of your chemical supplier or a reputable PPE supplier.
  • Make sure employees: have been taught on safe working practices; use the controls provided; have been trained to correctly use process equipment and PPE; know how to check their skin for signs of dermatitis; understand the benefits and limitations of skin care creams.
  • Provide mild skin cleaning cream that will do the job and washing facilities with hot and cold water.
  • Tell employees to clean their hands before consuming drinks and food or before wearing gloves.
  • Ensure pre and post work creams are used.
  • Seek the help of occupational health professionals if you suspect that you may have dermatitis problem at your workplace.
  • Put in place a management system that checks that all of these actions are carried out in practice.

Asbestosis – an irreversible scarring of the lungs that causes a decrease in elasticity. An industrial disease that was associated with past high levels of exposure of all types of asbestos. These high levels of exposure are now something of the past and those suffering would be as a result of exposures in the 1950s and 1960s.

Lung cancer – increased incidence in those working with asbestos. All types can cause the disease with some evidence of more danger from blue and brown. It is important to note that smokers who are exposed to asbestos fibres will increase the likelihood of contracting the disease.

Mesothelioma – cancer of the lining of the chest or abdominal wall. Again, evidence of increased risk from exposure to blue or brown asbestos fibres with the disease being triggered from low or short exposures to blue or brown.