They want to clear the air.
A law firm that specializes in industrial disease cases is revealing the 11 types of employees it claims are at higher risk for asthma due to frequent exposure to irritants — including hairdressers, animal handlers, metal workers, and carpet makers.
Over 22 million American adults have asthma — about 1 in 12 people. Since World Asthma Day is Tuesday, the UK legal firm Simpson Millar is sharing how certain professions are at elevated risk for occupational asthma, which is when substances at work cause the chronic lung disease.
A 2021 Brazil study estimated that 16% of people who developed asthma as an adult have occupational asthma, while the prevalence of work-exacerbated asthma — existing asthma worsened by workplace conditions — is 21.5%.
Hairdressers, for example, may be exposed to chemicals such as persulfate salts, which are found in hair bleach, Simpson Millar said.
Research from 2022 determined that hairdressers face a 20-fold higher risk of developing respiratory symptoms from exposure to persulfates.
The chemical compounds “are the main cause of occupational rhinitis and asthma in hairdressers and one of the leading causes of occupational asthma in some European countries,” the researchers noted.
Rhinitis is inflammation of the nose — symptoms include congestion, sneezing, runny nose, and itching.
People who work with pets, meanwhile, may experience coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing from being exposed to a greater amount of dust and fur and developing a sensitivity to it.
Hay fever season, which varies by geographic region, can worsen nasal symptoms and sensitivities.
In NYC, allergy season can start as early as late February or early March and end in late October — with pollen levels often peaking the first week in May.
For its part, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has occupational asthma guidelines that call for employers to train workers on handling chemicals safely and to provide protective gear, such as masks and respirators, among other requirements.
Anthony Waddington, a partner in the industrial claims department at Simpson Millar, notes that British public data depicts that occupational asthma cases have decreased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were an average of 180 new cases per year from 2017 to 2019, compared to an estimated 45 a year from 2020 to 2022.
Waddington said there’s not less occupational asthma — rather, he attributes the decline in cases to delays in diagnosis and reduced reporting by clinicians because of the pandemic.
“In 2023 we as a firm dealt with 13 claims for people with a suspected diagnosis of occupational asthma,” he told The Post.
11 professions that face a higher risk of occupational asthma
- Hairdressers
- Animal handlers (including veterinary nurses and pet groomers)
- Bakers
- Cleaners
- Mill operators
- Metal workers
- Pharmaceutical workers
- Chemical manufacturers
- Carpet makers
- Food production workers
- Adhesive handlers
