Each Year, World Asthma Day offers us the opportunity to reflect on the importance of breathing freely. For those of us working in occupational health and safety, it’s a poignant reminder that the air we breathe at work matters deeply.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), around 12,000 lung disease deaths each year are estimated to be linked to past exposures at work. That’s 12,000 lives directly affected by conditions that may have been preventable. These aren’t just numbers; they represent people whose health was compromised by their jobs, many of them unaware of the slow, silent damage being done to their lungs over time.
At Genesis OHS, we promote employee health, safety and happiness and we aim that to be a compass to guide every service that we deliver. We believe that no one should get sick simply because they showed up at work. Yet too often, uncontrolled respiratory hazards such as dust, fumes, vapours and biological agents affect the lung health of those exposed to them. It is important for employers to look beyond the immediate and urgent and consider the gradual and chronic. Occupational asthma and other respiratory conditions don’t always announce themselves loudly but rather develop subtly, sometimes over years, when the damage is already done.
How We Help
We work closely with our clients to address these risks through engagement, education, training and health surveillance. Each of these elements play a vital role in building trust with both employers and employees, equipping teams with the knowledge to recognise hazards and skills to control them, and keeping a watchful eye on workers’ health over time.
Health surveillance isn’t just about ticking compliance boxes; it’s about early detection and prevention. It involves regular checks, such as health questionnaires and lung function testing to help identify patterns or emerging concerns before they develop into long-term health problems. In the context of lung health, this can make all the difference. Spotting a decline in lung function early could lead to interventions that not only improve quality of life but potentially save it.
The Role of the Employer
Every employer has a legal and moral obligation to protect their employees from harm. This means assessing workplace risks and putting the right controls in place. But it also means listening to concerns, to early warning signs, and to the professionals can help put preventative systems in place. The law is clear: employers must not expose workers to substances hazardous to health without appropriate controls. But beyond the regulations lies a more basic truth; people deserve to go home from work as healthy as they arrived.
Beyond the Workplace
Of course, lung health is influenced by more than just our jobs. Smoking, air pollution, and personal health choices all play a role. World Asthma Day is also a time to encourage individuals to take charge of their own respiratory wellbeing; to quit smoking, to seek support for asthma management, and to be proactive about changes in symptoms. But while personal responsibility matters, the burden must not fall solely on the individual. Workplace conditions should never add to that burden. Our lungs are too important, too vulnerable, to bear the cost of inaction or ignorance. For someone already managing asthma or a respiratory condition, even low-level exposures can have serious effects. And for others, a lack of protection today could mean a diagnosis years from now.
On this World Asthma Day, let’s recommit ourselves to the shared responsibility we all have; employers, safety professional and colleagues alike, to make every workplace a place of health, not harm.
Written by
Noora Mättö
Health & Safety Manager