The aim of this page is to explain what 'occupational lung disease' is, to list the treatments available to you and to offer guidance on the compensation and benefits that you may be able to claim.
What is occupational lung disease?
Occupational asthma
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Occupational alveolitis
Occupational lung cancer
Occupational conditions affecting the lining of the lungs
What do I do if I think I have an occupational lung disease?
What happens if I do have an occupational lung disease?
Compensation and benefits
Taking legal action
Further sources of help and information
What is occupational lung disease?
An "occupational lung disease" is a lung disease connected with someone's occupation - their job. It is a disease caused by something you come into contact with at work.
The term "occupational lung disease" covers a group of different lung conditions. Each condition is different, and affects your lungs in a different way.
Some occupational lung diseases affect the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs (our 'airways'). Occupational asthma is an example of this sort of problem.
Other occupational lung diseases may affect the tiny air sacs through which oxygen is transferred into the blood from the air we breathe. 'Farmer's lung' is an example of this.
Other conditions may affect the thin lining between our lungs and our ribcage. Asbestos can cause a number of different occupational diseases here.
The factor which links them all is that they have been caused by something in the working environment.
The type of treatment you receive will depend on the type of lung disease you have.
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Occupational asthma
Asthma is a lung condition that affects the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs (the 'airways'). People with asthma have sensitive airways which become irritated in some situations. The airways become narrow and sometimes produce more mucus than usual. This makes it difficult to breathe.
Hundreds of different substances in the workplace have now been identified as being capable of causing asthma. If you have asthma that is caused by something at work, then you have 'occupational asthma.'
However, anybody with asthma may find that dusty or fume-filled air makes their symptoms worse. If your workplace is like this - which it shouldn't be - then your asthma may be worse at work. But this is asthma that is made worse by work, it is not caused by it. In this case it is not really occupational asthma.
Jobs with high rates of occupational asthma include:
- the baking industry (people develop an allergy to something in the flour, or additives, and the allergy causes the asthma)
- electronics (soldering flux)
- paint spraying and plastics (chemicals called isocyanates)
- jobs which bring people into contact with natural latex rubber (medical gloves).
There are very many more causes - and some have not yet been identified. Occupational asthma usually develops after months or even years of contact with the substance. During this time, it may have had no effect at all. People then begin to notice problems that get worse during a shift and over the working week. They notice that their symptoms get better when they're away from work. Rhinitis - a blocked or runny nose - often happens alongside occupational asthma.
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COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
COPD is a term used for a number of conditions including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD leads to damaged airways in the lungs, causing them to become narrower and making it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs. The word 'chronic' means that the problem is long-term.
Coal miners and people who have welded in confined spaces for long periods (for instance, shipyard welders) may develop COPD. People who have worked with cadmium might do as well. People who have been exposed to dust and fumes for a long time in other industries may develop COPD, but there is not enough medical evidence yet to know for sure.
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Occupational alveolitis
The alveoli are the tiny air sacs in our lungs where oxygen passes into our blood. You can have an allergic reaction which affects the alveoli if you breathe in tiny particles called proteins, which can be floating in the air.
If you are suddenly exposed to a large amount of these proteins, it can make you very ill. This illness comes on very fast, and can cause fever, breathlessness and widespread problems in your system.
Smaller amounts of proteins over long periods of time can lead gradually to permanent scarring of the lungs. Farmer's lung (caused by a fungus in mouldy hay) is the best known example. There are many others, though, especially among people who work in growing or processing food.
The same illness occurs in pigeon breeders, and sometimes in people who just keep a pet bird, such as a budgie or a parrot.
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Occupational lung cancer
If you are exposed to large quantities of asbestos, it can cause lung cancer.
Lung cancer - which starts in the airways - is not the same as mesothelioma. This is another cancer which is also caused by asbestos, but it starts in the lining of the lungs. It can take much less asbestos to cause mesothelioma than lung cancer. For more information on mesothelioma please click here.
Radioactivity increases the risk of lung cancer. So does work with nickel and some sorts of chromium.
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Occupational conditions affecting the lining of the lungs
As well as mesothelioma, asbestos can cause non-cancerous conditions in the lining of the lungs. 'Pleural plaques' are areas of scar tissue that do not cause or become cancer and, in general, do not cause symptoms either. "Diffuse pleural thickening" is when the lining of the lung becomes thicker. This can stop the lung from expanding, and so it can cause breathlessness.
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What do I do if I think I may have an occupational lung disease?
You must talk to your GP. Give details of your symptoms, your job and the materials that you work with. You will almost always need to see a lung specialist at a hospital for a full diagnosis. They will do some tests. These may include a chest X-ray, blood tests, and detailed lung function tests.
If the doctor thinks you might have occupational asthma, you will usually be asked to use something called a peak flow meter, several times a day. This is a small piece of equipment that checks your breathing. You will need to do this test both at home and at work to see if your breathing changes depending on where you are. Other occupational lung diseases (especially those associated with asbestos) may need a type of scan called a CT scan.
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What happens if I do have an occupational lung disease?
It's very important to find out if you do have an occupational lung disease. This is because if you carry on working with the cause of your illness, then you may have permanent problems. Employers must make your work safe, and try to find you a working environment and working practices which will not cause further problems. Sometimes, you might need to change job.
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Compensation and benefits
If you need help with any of the claim forms listed in this section, call the British Lung Foundation helpline on 08458 50 50 20.
If you are diagnosed with occupational lung disease, you and your family can get financial assistance. You can do this in two ways:
- By claiming Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). Some diseases are called "prescribed diseases". These are diseases the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises as industrial diseases. If you have one of them you may be eligible for IIDB.
- By suing for damages or claiming a lump sum.
How to claim IIDB
To request a claim form you should contact your local Jobcentre Plus, or ring the DWP enquiry line - 0800 88 22 00.
There are a number of different claim forms, depending on which disease you have. They are:
- BI100B: general, for diseases other than specific ones covered below
- BI100C: chronic bronchitis and emphysema (COPD)
- BI100E: allergic rhinitis
- BI100-OA: occupational asthma
- BI100-OD: occupational deafness
- BI100PN: pneumoconiosis, byssinosis, diffuse mesothelioma, diffuse pleural thickening and lung cancer (when accompanied by asbestosis or diffuse pleural thickening)
You may need some help with completing the form. You may also want to ask a relative, a social worker, a trade union representative or your doctor for help and advice. You will be asked for a detailed employment history.
How claims are decided
When you have completed the claim form, return it to the nearest Jobcentre Plus or social security office. If you have any medical evidence relevant to your claim, you should send it with the claim form.
You will be sent a written acknowledgement that the claim form has been received.
The DWP may have to contact your employer(s) to confirm:
- your periods of employment
- that your employment was as an employed earner
- that you worked with any tools or in conditions which are relevant for your claim.
If the DWP agree to take your claim further, your papers will be referred to medical services and you may be asked to go for a medical examination.
If you are asked to go for a medical examination and you fail to turn up without a good reason, your claim will be disallowed.
Fast track cases
Claims for mesothelioma and for all other diseases where the person is terminally ill, are treated as fast track cases. These cases are given priority at all times.
Specific criteria: certain prescribed diseases have specific criteria which must be met to make a claim - you can get more information from the DWP.
If the DWP does not agree with your claim, they will write to tell you this.
Suing for damages
You may claim damages from an employer by suing them for negligence. You will need to show that:
- Your lung disease was most probably caused at work
- Your employer at the time did not maintain the standards required by law (i.e. they were negligent)
This is a specialised area of the law and you should seek the advice of a specialist solicitor.
If you are a union member, they may be able to recommend an experienced solicitor. Otherwise, the Law Society has a list of specialist solicitors. You can call them on 0870 606 6575 - click here to view numbers in Scotland and N. Ireland.
The cost of making a claim may be covered by your trade union or your professional body. If not, your solicitor may be prepared to take your case on a 'no win, no fee' basis (then you may have to pay a one-off insurance premium). Your solicitor might also be able to claim your costs from your employer.
Your claim can still be made even if your employer is no longer in business. Your solicitor will make the claim against your employer's insurers.
If you are awarded damages, the final amount is based on a combination of:
- compensation for pain and suffering (and interest on that)
- loss of earnings (and interest on that)
- care costs
- other expenses (like modifying your home)
- compensation for bereavement
The Pneumoconiosis etc. Worker's Compensation Act (1979).
If your solicitor can't find your employer or their insurers, you may be able to get a lump sum under an Act of Parliament called 'the Pneumoconiosis etc. Worker's Compensation Act (1979)'. Your solicitor or local Jobcentre Plus can help you with this.
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Taking legal action
You may also be able to sue your current or past employer. You would need to show that they were negligent in exposing you to the substances which have caused your problems. You can bring a case like this for some conditions which are not eligible for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. The sums of money which can be awarded can be much bigger.
If you are thinking about this, it is very important that you first check with your lung specialist that he or she thinks your condition is likely to be related to your work.
It is also vital that you find a solicitor who deals regularly with this sort of case. This is a specialist area. You should ask them how many potential occupational lung disease cases their firm deals with each year. You could also ask your union (if you have one) to recommend a lawyer to you. Otherwise, the Law Society has a list of specialist solicitors - please click here for contact details.
The cost of making a claim may be covered by your trade union or your professional body. If not, your solicitor may be prepared to take your case on a 'no win, no fee' basis (then you may have to pay a one-off insurance premium). Your solicitor might also be able to claim your costs from your employer.
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Further sources of help and information
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Organisation
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Telephone number
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Website address
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British Lung Foundation
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Helpline
08458 50 50 20
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lunguk.org
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Department for Work and Pensions
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0800 88 22 00
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www.dwp.gov.uk
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Department for Work and Pensions (for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit)
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Call JobCentre Plus (number in the phone book)
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www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
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Law Society (for a list of specialist solicitors), England and Wales
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0870 606 6575
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www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Law Society, N Ireland
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028 90 231614
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www.lawsoc-ni.org
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Law Society , Scotland
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0131 226 7411
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www.lawscot.org.uk
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- Asbestos support group - Barrow- C/o Hospice of St Mary of Furness Ford Park, Ulverston Cumbria LA12 7JP t: 01229 580305 ext.32
- Asbestos support group - Bradford - Unison Offices 2nd Floor, Auburn House Upper Piccadilly, Bradford BD1 3NU t: 01274 393949
- Asbestos support group - Cheshire - 3 Fryer Street Runcorn, Cheshire WA7 1ND 01928 576641
- Asbestos support group - Derbyshire - Trade Union Safety Team 70 Saltergate Chesterfield S40 1JR t: 01246 231441
- Asbestos support group - Hampshire - t: 07940 328637 (Lynne) or t: 07792 543426 (Diane)
- Asbestos support group - Gtr Manchester - Windrush Millennium Centre, Unit 2.5 70 Alexandra Road, Moss Side Manchester, M16 7WD t: 0161 636 7555
- Asbestos support group - Merseyside - Suite 32, Second Floor, Oriel Chambers 14 Water Street, Liverpool L2 8TD t: 0151 236 1895
- Asbestos support group - North East - Trade Union Centre, 119/121 Marton Road Middlesborough, Cleveland TS1 2DU t: 01642 240044
- Asbestos support group - Sheffield And Rotherham :- 311 Aizlewoods Mill Nursery Street Sheffield S3 8GG t: 0114 2823 212
- British Lung Foundation - helpline 08458 50 50 20
- The June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund- t: 0114 274 4420
- Mesothelioma UK- t: 0800 169 2409
- MacMillan cancer relief - t: 0808 8082020
- Department for Work and Pensions- t: 0800 88 22 00
- Department for Work and Pensions(for IIDB) - Call JobCentre Plus (number in the phone book)
- Law Society(for a list of specialist solicitors), England and Wales - t: 0870 606 2555
- Law Society, N Ireland - t: 028 90 231614
- Law Society, Scotland - t: 0131 226 7411
- The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund - t: 0191 263 7386
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Page last medically reviewed: March '07
