According to the Department of Health and Social Care, there were 44,608 deaths of people aged 75 or younger attributed to respiratory disease in England between 2021-23. Of these, 26,453 are considered ‘preventable’*.

That is 26,453 deaths that could have been avoided.

Some of these deaths will be down to lifestyle choices such as smoking, but a significant proportion will have resulted from contaminated working environments.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics continue to show that more than 12,000 lung disease deaths every year are a direct result of past workplace exposures to airborne particulate including dust and fume.

Of these 12,000 deaths, 34% are attributed to COPD, 24% to non-asbestos related lung cancer, 20% to asbestos related lung cancer, 20% to mesothelioma, and 3% to other diseases. Interestingly, these figures do not currently include deaths resulting from silicosis – a deadly disease caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) which has been branded as ‘the new asbestos’.

Awareness of silicosis has been increasing in recent years and is now starting to filter through to mainstream media – predominantly spearheaded by legal cases brought about by the loved ones of people who have tragically lost their lives to this dreadful disease. News outlets including the BBC, MSN and even LAD Bible have all shared stories in the past week about workers whose lives have been cut short by silicosis.

“The saddest thing about these cases is that they could have been prevented,” comments Filtermist’s Commercial Director, Jo Morris. “And it’s not just silicosis – lung cancer, COPD and even asthma can all be deadly. As employers, we all have a legal duty and a moral obligation to ensure our employees are not exposed to airborne contaminants that can cause these diseases.

“Some of the causal agents of respiratory illnesses are obvious, but some less so. For example, according to the HSE exposure to flour dust is the second highest causal agent of occupational asthma in Great Britain.

“The HSE advocates using a ‘hierarchy of controls’ to minimise exposure to all identified workplace risks – this includes engineering controls in situations where the risk cannot be eliminated or substituted. Using effective Local Exhaust Ventilation to remove dust, fume and oil mist particles at source helps to ensure workplace air is clean and safe to breathe. The HSE also recommends using an appropriately rated vacuum cleaner rather than a broom as sweeping can cause dust clouds.”

Filtermist offers a huge range of products and services designed to protect people from contaminated air in industrial workplaces, including Dustcheck dust collectors and process filters, and Kerstar industrial vacuum cleaners.

“Prevention has to be at the top of every manufacturer’s agenda,” continues Jo. “Some of these diseases are simply not treatable. Once contracted and symptoms confirmed, it is often too late to do anything and the result is inevitable. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Implementing effective dust extraction, using portable weld fume extraction units, investing in ATEX rated vacuum cleaners, and then maintaining the equipment to ensure it performs as intended, are all easy measures all employers can take.

“And not only is this the right thing to do morally - it also helps to protect the bottom line. Operational downtime due to ill-health and poorly performing equipment can all cost businesses, not to mention hefty fines that can result from HSE prosecutions and lost business due to reputational damage.”

No-one should get ill or die as a result of polluted workplace air.

Contact our team to discuss how Filtermist can help you protect your workforce and your business.

*‘The basic concept of preventable mortality is that deaths are considered preventable if, in the light of the understanding of the determinants of health at the time of death, all or most deaths from the underlying cause (subject to age limits if appropriate) could mainly be avoided through effective public health and primary prevention interventions.’

Source: Respiratory disease - Data | Fingertips | Department of Health and Social Care (phe.org.uk)