Citation
Bean, J. (1998), "Occupational asthma", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 27 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1998.12927baa.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1998, MCB UP Limited
Occupational asthma
Occupational asthma
A compendium of critical appraisals which assess the ability of substances to induce occupational asthma has been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Entitled Asthmagen? Critical Assessments of the Evidence for Agents Implicated in Occupational Asthma, it includes substances which, on the balance of the evidence, should not be considered to be asthmagens as well as those that should.
Substances used in the coatings and inks industries, or in its raw material supplies, which meet the revised EU criteria (1966) for classification as a cause of asthma, include: latex, phthalic anhydride, maleic anydride, isocyantes, ethylenediamine, and diazonium salts.
Substances which do not meet the revised EU criteria, and therefore are not thought to be causes of asthma, include: formaldehyde, hydralazine and methyl methacrylate.
The loose-leaf publication currently consists of 32 appraisals, but the HSE plans to publish further assessments of industrial chemicals and substances of biological origin in the future. The price also includes updates issued until October 1999. The second set of summaries is expected to be available in 1998.
The new information is intended to help employers, safety representatives and occupational health practitioners to carry out or review risk assessments required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 1994.
Copies of Asthmagen? Critical Assessments of the Evidence for Agents Implicated in Occupational Asthma, ISBN 0 7176 1465 4, price £25, are available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 6FS. Tel: +44 (0)1787 881165. Anyone who buys a copy of this publication will be entitled to a free update of the material published until 1999.
John Bean