What HSE is doing

Projects for the year ahead

HSE are involved in a number of projects that target occupations with the highest rates of occupational asthma, including:

• Bakers
• Vehicle spray painters
• Solderers, e.g. in electronics
• Woodworkers
• Healthcare workers
• Engineering workers

The projects involve working in partnership with others. The aims are to raise awareness of substances that cause occupational asthma and to improve control through good practice in the workplace.

The Your trade pages of this website provides top tips and advice on good practice.

For more information on these initiatives please write to us - you can find our address on the contact us page.

Safety and Health Awareness Days

We have planned a series of Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs) in the following industries:

• Motor vehicle repair - for more information visit the MVR website
• Woodworking - for further information please visit the woodworking website
• Industries using metalworking fluids - for more information visit the MWF website

Interventions in Primary Care

This project involves nurses who work in GP practices, chest physicians and occupational physicians. The aim is to:

• Improve knowledge and awareness of occupational asthma.
• Improve practice nurses ability to identify symptoms of occupational asthma and provide the appropriate advice.
• Develop an agreed standard diagnosis for occupational asthma, in partnership with the GORDS (group of occupational respiratory disease specialists).

The agreed standard will be publicised at meetings of professional bodies, to encourage them to disseminate the guidance.

Partnerships

HSE works closely with external and internal partners to help deliver the reduction in occupational asthma, including the Trade Union Congress, the Confederation of British Industry and Asthma UK.

The Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) supports HSE's mission to ensure that risks to people's health and safety from work activities are properly controlled. For more information view HSL’s website.

The Asthma Partnership Board (formerly Asthma Project Board)

The Board develops and oversee actions to reduce occupational asthma and asthma made worse by work. View a list of the Board Members. For more information on the Board and its activities please email the secretariat for the Board: marie.warburton@hse.gsi.gov.uk

• The Asthma Partnership Board web community