by Georgina Crawford

Created on: May 17, 2010

True occupational asthma occurs when a worker is exposed to a respiratory sensitiser that causes asthma symptoms.  It often has significant financial implications for the individual and may lead to them losing their job.   It should be differentiated from ‘ordinary’ asthma that is simply made worse by sensitisers at work. 

Asthma symptoms include: wheezing, shortness of breath, tight chest and chronic cough, but individuals with symptoms of allergic rhinitis (sneezing, blocked nose, itchy eyes and nose, runny nose) caused by the workplace should also take care, as this is often a precursor to occupational asthma (British Thoracic Society Guidelines 1994).

The Health and Safety Executive produces a list of respiratory sensitisers.  Currently, there are over 200 items on this list, which is growing weekly, but there are those allergens that commonly cause more problems than others and that point towards certain occupations as being high-risk areas of work.

If an individual thinks they may have occupational rhinitis or asthma, they should visit their respiratory nurse or doctor to obtain a conclusive diagnosis, but occupational asthma should be suspected if:

Symptoms are worse at or after work (particularly after as the allergy may take time to develop).

The individual wakes at night with asthma symptoms after workdays.

Symptoms improve on days off or on holiday.

So what are some of the high-risk occupations?

Baking and pastry making

Wheat flour is a very common respiratory sensitiser for many people, so any work involving wheat is risky.  Additional occupations could include food processing work, grain and flour transportation and farming.

Spray painting

Isocyanides in spray paints, make any type of spray painting high risk for developing occupational asthma.  Whether the job involves spraying vehicles or white goods, the employer should provide excellent fume extraction, or breathing apparatus for employees.

Foundry work

Foundry cores often contain a substance called colophony, which is made from pine resin and it is this that acts as a respiratory sensitiser.  Colophony is also present in some glues and cleaning products, so any occupation that comes into contact with these items is high risk.  Metal workers are also at risk, as colophony is a constituent of solder.

Health work

Latex is an extremely common sensitiser, so doctors, dentists and nurses have all been at risk in the past, mainly

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