Prevent work-related lung disease in your industry
Each year, around 12,000 people die from work-related lung diseases linked to past exposure to hazardous substances at work.
These deaths are preventable if exposure to the risks is effectively controlled. No matter what industry you work in, ensure you understand the risks and your legal duty to prevent occupational lung disease and protect workers from ill health.
This year marks the 10th annual Farm Safety Week (18 – 22 July 2022).
This is an important milestone for the event that works closely with the industry to raise awareness of the risks to farmers and farm workers, and the preventative action needed to minimise risks.
One such risk, particularly during harvest season, is ill health resulting from breathing in dusts or chemicals in agriculture. This includes harmful dusts from harvesting or handling grain.
Other respiratory risks throughout the year include mixing animal feedstuffs, handling mouldy hay, clearing used bedding and waste products from animals or poultry.
Exposure to dust over a long period of time may lead to serious lung conditions, including asthma, chronic bronchitis and farmer's lung, which devastate not just the lives of those affected but also their families' lives.
These conditions are preventable. We have guidance on effective control methods for agricultural workers to minimise the risks of lung disease to themselves and others.
Breathing in wood dust can cause irreversible lung diseases.
HSE inspectors continue to visit woodworking businesses across Great Britain as part of our year-long targeted inspections programme.
Inspectors are checking that dutyholders know the established health risks associated with woodworking, including wood dust, and have effective controls in place to keep workers safe and protect their respiratory health.
You can find further information and guidance on our website:
Last month, HSE’s construction division ran a month-long respiratory health initiative to highlight the risks of occupational lung disease within the sector.
Our Dust Kills website has advice for construction workers and employers, including videos about preventing lung diseases such as silicosis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
We also have a series of short videos in which HSE’s Chief Medical Advisor, Professor David Fishwick, highlights the risks of breathing problems due to exposure to dust.
Watch the HSE Dust Kills videos on YouTube.
Follow HSE's social media channels - Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn - for updates on our campaigns.
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