50 Sprayers Diagnosed Yearly with Costly Asthma Claims in UK

Officers from Great Britain’s Health and Safety Executive and local authorities in Dorset will be carrying out a program of inspections to businesses associated with the motor vehicle trade during October and November, including motor vehicle repairers, body sprayers/repairers, tire and exhaust fitting premises and vehicle showrooms.

The main focus of this work – part of this year's Work Well Dorset work stream – will be to reduce the incidents of ill health from the use of hazardous substances such as isocyanate paints (also known in the trade as 2-pack, twin pack, or '2K'), which are one of the biggest cause of occupational asthma in the UK, with 50 sprayers being diagnosed every year, resulting in a lifetime cost in the range of £94,000 to £138,000 or ($148,844 to $218,515). (WCxKit)
 

Other topics areas, where inspectors will provide advice on practical solutions while seeking business compliance, include reducing accidents and injuries associated with petrol draining, segregation of the public from work areas, musculoskeletal injuries sustained from lifting and carrying, training of young workers, preventing injuries from slips, trips and falls, and seeking to improve worker involvement on health and safety.

Cllr Don Collier, a member of the Champions Panel of Work Well Dorset tasked with strategic overview of the initiative, noted, "The campaign is targeted at both employers and employees. They both have a responsibility to help reduce the problem, which resulted in over 150 new cases nationally of debilitating occupational ill health during 2006-2008 to those working in the motor vehicle repair trade. This is a very valuable piece of work being undertaken by the Work Well team." (WCxKit)

The Motor Vehicle Repair project is just one example of the joint work that the Work Well Dorset team will be carrying out this year.