| Advice and guidance on preventing work-related lung disease |
| Having trouble viewing this email? View the content as a web page. | |  HSE eBulletin Issued: 21 July 2021 Visit our lung disease website for advice and guidance on preventing work-related lung disease. | | | Do you know the risks, and could you recognise the symptoms of lung disease? Last year, around 12,000 people in the UK died from lung diseases estimated to be linked to past exposure at work. If you're an employer, you have a legal duty to protect workers' respiratory health. Breathing in certain dust, gases, vapours and fumes at work can cause life-changing lung disease. Ensure you have effective measures in place to control exposure in your workplace. Visit our lung disease basics webpage for more information and guidance. Safety and Health Engineering Partnership (SHEP) is hosting a free webinar on 22 July 2021 at 12pm which will include guest speakers from HSE and the United Kingdom Lubricants Association. There will also be a presentation on Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV); a key control measure for metalworking fluids and welding fume. A panel of HSE inspectors will take part in an extended Q&A session to enable them to respond to as many questions as possible. This event follows the success of the webinar held earlier this year when HSE inspectors presented at the SHEP welding fume and metalworking fluid webinar. What are the hazards to your lungs in the farming and agriculture sector? Chest problems, and ultimately work-related (occupational) lung disease, may occur as a result of breathing in dust vapours or chemicals from: - harvesting or handling grain, or mixing animal feedstuffs
- feeding animals
- handling mouldy hay or bedding and waste products from animals or poultry
- slurry, silage
- welding fume
- some veterinary medicines and disinfectants
Being exposed to dusts, vapours or chemicals at work for just a short time may cause unpleasant irritation or inflammation in the nose, throat or lungs. Longer exposure may lead to more serious chest problems and lung diseases, including asthma, chronic bronchitis and farmer's lung. These symptoms can be short-lived at the time of a job, or they may get worse and last longer until they are almost always present. They can be set off by even very small exposures to any substance to which you have become allergic, or sensitised. How to control the hazards Avoid breathing in harmful substances by: - using alternative, safer substances where possible
- changing to low dust materials, e.g. granules or pellets
- enclosing sources of dust or spray
- vacuuming spillages instead of sweeping them up
Reduce the amount you breathe in by: - using local exhaust ventilation (LEV) e.g. when welding
- using effective filters in tractor or vehicle cabs
- maintaining filters to the manufacturer's instructions
- improving ventilation in buildings
- wearing appropriate, effective respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
If you need to wear masks or respirators, always adjust the straps so they fit properly. Store them in a clean, dry place and do not hang them from hooks or nails in dirty, dusty areas. All masks and respirators must be CE marked. Visit our personal protective equipment (PPE) page for more information. | | | | |
Health and Safety Executive - 5N1 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside L20 7HS
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