Each month the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) offers Health and Safety To Go! These free, monthly podcasts discuss a wide variety of topics to keep SH&E professionals up to date on key issues and offer information, tips and insights for effective safety management. This month, CCOHS offers a free encore presentation on work-related asthma.
In Putting the Spotlight on Work-Related Asthma, Dr. Michael Pysklywec, occupational health physician at the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc., explains what work-related asthma is, who's most at risk and how this condition is diagnosed.
Work-related asthma is the the most common occupational respiratory condition in industrial countries, and according to Dr. Pysklywec, it accounts for 10-20 percent of all adult asthma. This data suggests that the condition is not an uncommon, but often un-recognized because both doctors and patients fail to make the connection between the asthma and workplace sensitizers. Employers can play a key role in preventing and managing established work-related asthma by learning to recognize the signs and eliminating possible irritants.
Visit the CCOHS website for more information.