A summary of research published in the BMJ
Workplace lung health risks may be going unnoticed, with more than one in three workers reporting breathing symptoms linked to their job, according to new research.
Materials such as flour dust, paints, metal treatments, animal fur, and enzymes can affect lung health. However, these risks are not well understood, meaning workers, employers and healthcare professionals may not be aware of the potential impact of these exposures on lung health, and may not have the appropriate conversations about what people may have breathed in in the workplace.
Researchers and patients developed an online quiz for people working in industries where exposure to dusts, fumes and other substances may affect lung health. People were reached through targeted Facebook advertising in sectors including bakeries, wood workshops and garages.
The quiz asked people questions about where they worked, any breathing problems they had experienced and whether these symptoms became worse when they were at work.
Almost 22,400 people from different European countries took part.
Breathing and nasal symptoms were common among participants:
More than 8,400 people (37 percent of the total) reported at least one symptom that was linked to their workplace.
The study also found that only 11 percent of workplaces offered training, and only 17 percent offered guidance about ways to protect lung health.
Nearly 1,000 participants said they had changed their job because it affected their breathing. These people were more likely to be older and to work in jobs such as baking, mining, sports centres and farming. They were also more likely to report work-related wheeze and nasal symptoms.
Workers identified by the questionnaire as being at higher risk of occupational asthma were more likely to be women and less likely to have received workplace guidance or training on lung health risks.
The researchers noted that it is common for people working in many different types of places to report lung and nasal symptoms, and that there might be links between their symptoms and their workplace. Some sectors, including bakery work, had higher levels of likely occupational asthma as well as lower levels of training and guidance.
The findings suggest that greater awareness and education about lung health from employers in the workplace could help reduce the health risks for workers in some industries. They also show how online tools and social media can help identify and engage people who may be at risk of occupational lung disease. Finally, it is hoped that quizzes that explain the problems in the workplace could help workers to tell their doctors about their workplace.
Part of the European Lung Foundation and European Respiratory Society’s Healthy Lungs for Life campaign, the quiz has just been updated. Employers can also share it with their workers. You can access it on the new webpage.
Using social media to highlight inhaled occupational exposures as a cause of lung disease
