Occupational Lung Disease in United Kingdom

The Health Safety Executive (HSE) published information on occupational lung disease statistics in Great Britain in 2023. The results underscore exposure to occupational illness in various industries in the UK.

1. Lung Diseases 2 Respiratory cancers , including lung cancer and mesothelioma Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Silicosis , asbestosis and other forms of pneumoconiosis Occupational asthma Diffuse pleural thickening and pleural plaques Allergic alveolitis and byssinosis

2. Lung diseases can be caused by exposures in the workplace including cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can often be fatal Occupational lung diseases typically have a long latency Current deaths reflect the effect of past working conditions

3. 5 Sample Footer Text Burden of Disease in Great Britian

4. 1.8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness 875,000 workers suffering work-related stress, depression or anxiety 473,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder 2,268 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2021)

5. 35.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury £20.7 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2021 to 2022)

6. There are currently an estimated 12,000 Occupational Lung Disease (OLD) deaths each year linked to past exposures at work (based on death certificates and epidemiological estimate of the effects of occupational exposures) Part of this estimate comprises deaths due to past exposure to asbestos. In 2021 there were 2,268 mesothelioma deaths – which can be counted directly from national mortality data – and a similar number of estimated lung cancer deaths due to past exposures to asbestos

7. Asbestosis as Underlying Cause Other deaths mentioning asbestosis Total mentioning asbestosis Deaths Mentioning Asbestosis, 1978-2021, Great Britain

8. Airborne materials from spray painting or manufacturing foam products (in 13% of cases) Dusts from flour, grain/cereal, animal feed or straw (7% of cases) Airborne materials while welding, soldering, or cutting/grinding metals (10% of cases) Dusts from stone, cement, brick or concrete (nearly 20% of cases) Causes of Self-Reported Respiratory Disease in Great Britain

9. 1: Smelting, refining, alloying and casting 275 126 38 33 18 17 9 2 518 2: Lead battery manufacture 199 228 103 22 5 3 1 1 562 3: Lead battery recycling 193 164 36 16 4 1 2 416 4: Badge and jewellery enamelling and other vitreous enamelling 1 1 5: Glass making (including cutting and etching) 20 7 8 14 1 1 51 6: Glass recycling (including TV and monitors) 21 16 2 1 40 7: Manufacture of pigments and colours 5 4 3 2 1 15 8: Potteries, glazers and transfers 2 1 3 9: Manufacture of inorganic or organic lead compounds (including lead salts, fatty acids) 114 51 7 3 1 1 177 10: Shipbuilding, repairing and breaking 22 22 11: Demolition industry 212 47 6 8 6 2 5 1 2 1 1 291 12: Painting of buildings and vehicles 63 27 10 5 3 2 4 5 1 120 13: Paint removal 453 79 31 24 14 13 20 5 2 641 14: Work with metallic lead and lead containing alloys 229 109 58 41 29 22 32 10 530 15: Scrap industry (including pipes, flashing, cables) 246 55 19 7 10 5 12 3 357 16: Other processes 319 (1) 51 24 22 15 3 6 1 1 442 (1) Total 2,374 (1) 964 345 197 107 70 91 28 7 1 2 4,186 (1) Industry Labor Code Highest Blood-Lead Measurement (µg/100ml) Under 10 10 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 60 - 69 70 - 79 Over 80 Total Lead Industry Sector Description

10. Summary 14 Trends in annual mortality due to occupational respiratory diseases are difficult to assess Persisting burden of annual deaths from asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma and asbestosis is a legacy of exposures to asbestos in 1960s – 1970s Estimates of mortality for some diseases using epidemiological information are not precise Recent trends in mortality from long latency disease reflect changes in exposure from the past Deaths from coal worker’s pneumoconiosis are falling