New Cases of Occupational Asthma can often be Prevented

Occupational asthma, also known as work-related asthma, impacts workers’ quality of life and reduces their productivity.  It is the most common occupational lung disease in the United States and the condition increases costs to employees, families, businesses and even taxpayers.
 
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “An estimated 11 million workers in a wide range of industries and occupations are exposed to at least one of the numerous agents known to be associated with occupational asthma. Occupational factors are associated with up to 15 percent of disabling asthma cases in the United States.”
 
Occupational asthma results from exposure to allergens or irritants on the job and according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 250 substances are known or believed to cause or exacerbate work-related asthma. These substances include many chemicals used in manufacturing; paints; cleaning products; dusts from wood, grain and flour; latex gloves; mold; animals; and insects.
 
The condition can cause wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. Symptoms may emerge hours after exposure to harmful substances or even months or years later.  “Employers must develop and enforce health plans to protect their employees from exposure to harmful levels of chemicals,” said Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark.  “Otherwise, some employees may become too disabled to work, while others may change jobs to avoid the substance or substances that caused their asthma.   Unless occupational asthma is caught and managed early, it is likely to continue and get worse.  At CSC, our environmental, health and safety professionals have the ability to help prevent new cases of occupational asthma from occurring through testing and monitoring services to identify environmental allergens and irritants.  This information can then be used to prevent, reduce or eliminate exposure to these substances.”
 
CSC recently sponsored an educational video about occupational asthma that can be seen at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWPLw-0OjKU
 
To learn more about indoor air quality and environmental, health and safety testing and consulting services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail