When you’re starting to drown between employee concerns, payroll duties and helping your CEO -- HR Insider is there to help get the logistical work out of the way.
Need a policy because of a recent regulatory change? We’ve got it for you. Need some quick training on a specific HR topic? We’ve got it for you. HR Insider provides the resources you need to craft, implement and monitor policies with confidence. Our team of experts (which includes lawyers, analysts and HR professionals) keep track of complex legislation, pending changes, new interpretations and evolving case law to provide you with the policies and procedures to keep you ahead of problems. FIND OUT MORE...
Take 4 Steps to Protect Workers from Work-Related Asthma

Children aren’t the only ones who get asthma’adults can also suffer from this respiratory condition. And in many cases, adult asthma is work-related. (Read about a British study that found that one in six cases of adult-onset asthma is linked to the workplace.)

According to the Canadian Lung Association, there are two kinds of work-related asthma:

  • Occupational asthma: Some people develop asthma for the first time because of something in their workplace, such as paint, fumes or dust. That is, they didn’t have asthma when they started the job, but something at work gave them the condition. (Read about a worker who developed asthma while working at a fertilizer plant.)
  • Work-exacerbated asthma: People who already have asthma may find that something at work makes their symptoms worse (also called work-aggravated asthma).

To protect workers from both kinds of work-related asthma, take these four steps:

Step #1: Try to remove the substances or things that can cause asthma from the workplace, such as by replacing them with safer alternatives.

Step #2: Maintain good indoor air quality in the workplace by using ventilation to remove asthma-causing substances from the air in the workplace. For example, install extractor fans that pulls fumes and dust from the air. Also, store dangerous chemicals in a fume cupboard.

Step #3: Provide vulnerable workers with appropriate respiratory PPE such as masks or respirators that can cut down their exposure to things that cause or aggravate asthma.

Step #4: Educate workers on the signs and symptoms of work-related asthma. Explain that if they notice any of these symptoms, they should see a doctor right away.

The Canadian Lung Association has a lot of valuable information on work-related asthma, including: