We are pleased to launch a new online quiz to help people assess whether their lung health might be at risk due to their workplace.
Work-related lung conditions are conditions caused or made worse by factors in the work environment.
Many people are exposed to harmful substances at work, such as cleaning products, fumes and dusts. Without proper protection in place, regularly breathing in these things can lead to or worsen lung conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and silicosis.
The quiz was designed with a steering group made up of experts in work-related lung conditions, primary healthcare professionals and patient representatives.
It was reviewed and contributed to by the ELF Patient and Professional Advisory Committees, the UK Health and Safety Healthy Lung Partnership and national focal points from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
A short quiz will ask questions on symptoms and the workplace. It will then give you a summary with tips on how to protect your lungs at work – and may recommend making an appointment with a healthcare professional for further investigation.
The online platform also includes factsheets on a range of different workplaces covering some of the hazards and associated lung health issues for each, as well as steps people can take to reduce their exposure.
Dan Smyth of the Sleep Disorder Support Foundation in Ireland, and former ELF Chair, was part of the steering group that developed the tool: “I am so proud to be associated with this project, which is the result of successful collaboration between health and environmental professionals with people with lung conditions and advocates. This simple online quiz will bring greater clarity to the lung health risks for people working in a number of industries.”
The quiz is currently in English, but we hope to build partnerships that will enable us to translate it into further languages.
Learn about the factors that can cause lung disease and the ways to reduce your contact with them.
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