A lot is done these days to try to protect workers in the UK from injury or harm. It's been the job of the health and safety executive to implement and enforce new rules which make the workplace safer for everyone. The progress made has been impressive, with many harmful materials removed from the workplace, and death rates reducing yearly from the beginning of the century. But there are still lots of cases of people contracting industrial diseases each year.
One of the biggest causes of diseases in workers is also one of the best well known. Asbestos continues to be an issue. This useful fireproof, insulating material was once widely used. It wasn't until as late as the 1980s that its harmful effects on peoples' health were proven. When asbestos is disturbed it sends particles into the air. These are then inhaled by people nearby. Once you've inhaled asbestos, the fibres tear the lining of the lungs and cause the beginnings on cancer, known as mesothelioma.
Despite the fact that asbestos isn't used in industry any more except for very rare circumstances, the old material continues to be unearthed and cause problems. In fact three thousand people in the UK die each year from asbestos related diseases. There are also worries about people developing less serious respiratory conditions, such as asthma, from their working environment. Even bakers are as risk due to the high chance of inhaling flour.
Deafness is something that's another heavy industry disease. There are an estimated one hundred and seventy thousand people in the UK suffering from severe hearing difficulties due to exposure to loud work spaces with inadequate ear protection. The legislation is in place that should prevent this from happening, but it's demonstrative of the fact that making legislation and getting people to stick to it are two very different things.
Contact dermatitis, better known as skin irritation from chemicals, is something that's also commonly contracted in the workplace in Britain. It's not just people working with dangerous chemicals that suffer in this regard either: a lot of the people in question are hair dressers, or flower arrangers, who use chemical agents routinely without proper protection.
One of the biggest causes of diseases in workers is also one of the best well known. Asbestos continues to be an issue. This useful fireproof, insulating material was once widely used. It wasn't until as late as the 1980s that its harmful effects on peoples' health were proven. When asbestos is disturbed it sends particles into the air. These are then inhaled by people nearby. Once you've inhaled asbestos, the fibres tear the lining of the lungs and cause the beginnings on cancer, known as mesothelioma.
Despite the fact that asbestos isn't used in industry any more except for very rare circumstances, the old material continues to be unearthed and cause problems. In fact three thousand people in the UK die each year from asbestos related diseases. There are also worries about people developing less serious respiratory conditions, such as asthma, from their working environment. Even bakers are as risk due to the high chance of inhaling flour.
Deafness is something that's another heavy industry disease. There are an estimated one hundred and seventy thousand people in the UK suffering from severe hearing difficulties due to exposure to loud work spaces with inadequate ear protection. The legislation is in place that should prevent this from happening, but it's demonstrative of the fact that making legislation and getting people to stick to it are two very different things.
Contact dermatitis, better known as skin irritation from chemicals, is something that's also commonly contracted in the workplace in Britain. It's not just people working with dangerous chemicals that suffer in this regard either: a lot of the people in question are hair dressers, or flower arrangers, who use chemical agents routinely without proper protection.
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