Reducing Workplace Asthma in UK can save Millions

Though various occupational health hazards are causing illnesses among employees, asthma caused due to workplace pollutants like dust, latex, isocyanates or flour is burdening the economy in UK to a very large extent.

According to a reputed journal Thorax, millions are spent each year from the country’s treasury towards workplace asthma. However the most noted factor was that, though workplace contributes majorly to inflicting employees with asthma, an employer’s contribution towards its treatment costs is minimal i.e. 3 to 4%.

The research pointed out that an estimated 3,000 new employees are identified with occupational asthma each year. Yet this condition seems to be under diagnosed.

The research followed all information on costs of all workplace asthma as well as the impact costs. Male and female workers who had developed occupational asthma after exposing to workplace pollutants were included in the research. All these information was used to analyse the costs of workplace asthma on an individual’s life including all direct and indirect costs; based on six possible circumstances. The financial impact was then divided among individuals, employee and state as they were most likely to bear the costs. Direct costs comprises of all health care services, benefits and insurances availed by the individual while indirect costs includes his productivity and income loss. The experts observed that total costs made up over time at 2003 prices when direct, indirect and employer costs were added up.

The experts on the research noted that costs for male workers were more than double the costs for female workers. Calculations showed that an estimate for true costs was between £72 and £100 million for people suffering from workplace asthma for their entire lifetime; which came around to £3.4 to £4.8 million a year. However total costs could be way up to £135 million as nearly a third of workplace asthma was thought to be underestimated. Thus in totality, an individual’s contribution was nearly 49% while that of state was 48% towards total costs to workplace asthma with an employer contributing a negligible percentage.

Nevertheless, the experts suggested that the definite savings can be made if measures were taken to improve workplace conditions by reducing the levels of exposure to workplace pollutants causing workplace asthma.