SPORTS INJURY How to tackle it EXERCISE The power of Pilates ...

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28 N E HEALTH OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES: Advertising FeatureLUNG DISEASES AND CHEST CONDITIONSEmphysema – the air sacs (alveoli) ofthe lungs, through which oxygen isabsorbed into the bloodstream, becomeenlarged, damaged and lose theirelasticity. Air becomes trapped and thelungs over-inflated so sufferers struggle toforce air in and out. The main symptom isdisabling breathlessness, as well asfatigue and weight loss.Chronic bronchitis – the bronchi, themain airways that lead from the trachea(windpipe) into the lungs, becomeinflamed.Chronic inflammation causes excessiveamounts of mucus – also known asphlegm or sputum – to be produced bythe bronchi. This mucus then blocks theairways and air sacs reducing the amountof oxygen available to the lungs, causingbreathlessness.The condition is often made worse byinfections such as colds and flu and aslow deterioration is likely.Treatment: there is no cure for ChronicObstructive Pulmonary Disease (combinedchronic bronchitis and emphysema) andany damage to the lungs is irreversible.Quitting smoking and avoiding dusty andsmoky environments may slow down theprogression of the disease.Pneumoconiosis (excludingasbestosis) – disease of the lungscaused by the inhalation andaccummulation in the lungs of dust,especially from coal, asbestos, or silica.Inhaled particles make the lungs graduallyfibrous, making breathing difficult. Overmany years the condition causes severedisability.Asthma – Occupational asthma occurswhen workplace exposures to particularsubstances result in a biological changein a person’s airways, known as thehypersensitive state, so that subsequentexposure to the same substance triggersan asthma attack. Once the airwaysbecome hypersensitive the disease isirreversible.Prolonged exposure over months oryears can lead to chronic long-term lungdisease including chronic bronchitis,pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema.Symptoms include coughing, wheezing,breathlessness and a tightness in thechest and disturbance of sleep; in severecases, impaired physical activity andquality of life, and grossly restrictedemployment prospects.Studies show that in most casesasthma develops in six to 12 months butmay occur within ten days of the exposureor even after as long as 25 years later.Indicators of occupational asthmainclude a cough or wheeze that improvesaway from work, working in a high riskoccupation, worsening of pre-existingcontrolled asthma and newly diagnosedasthma in an adultThe newGovernmenttelevisionadvertisingcampaign,which usesshocktactics topoint up thedangers ofpassivesmokingThe real costof smokingBreathing in second hand smoke at work currently kills three timesmore people every year than die in ‘conventional’ industrial accidentsWERE a stranger to walk into atown centre pub and releaseradioactive poison overdrinkers standing at the bar,he’d be considered a terroristarmed with chemical weapons.Security would be stepped up with bagsearches for customers and perhaps a dropdownsafety shield to protect staff behind thebar in the future.Yet bar workers are exposed every day totoxic fumes, including radioactive polonium210, released around them by the smokers whocome into their pub. Long-term, continued exposureto chemicals like arsenic, benzene, embalmingfluid and rat poison, which are amongthe 120 officially classified poisons in cigarettes,can prove fatal.Breathing in second hand smoke at workkills three times more people every year thandie in “conventional” industrial accidents –that’s 600 people whose deaths were avoidableand whose lives cost nothing to protect.Death by second hand smoke is rarely talkedof in the same way as emphysema or mesothelioma,but it is considered an industrial disease.Darcy Brown, stop smoking advisor withDarlington Primary Care Trust, says employerscan no longer claim ignorance when itcomes to protecting their staff from other people’scigarette smoke.“Employers have a duty to act and preventexposure to smoke. The Health and Safety atWork Act says employers must take all reasonablesteps to protect their staff from risk,”she says. “If you are knowingly allowing yourstaff to be exposed continuously to the 60 cancer-causingchemicals in cigarettes then surelyyou are breaking the law.”As well as inhaling multiple carcinogens,chemicals in cigarettes also break down thebody’s immune system to fight the poisons.The biggest cause of death among smokersand those who breathe in smoke are heart attackand stroke caused by carbon monoxide,which has been shown to reduce blood flow tothe heart within 30 minutes of exposure tosmoke.The NHS says more than 80 per cent of casesof chronic obstructive pulmonary disease aredue to cigarettes and 25,000 limb amputationsare carried out every year on smokers.Some studies have found that the greateryour exposure to second hand smoke at work,the greater your risk of lung cancer – for thoseexposed for more than 21 years, the risk of cancerincreases by 25 per cent.They are claims challenged by smokers’lobby group FOREST, whose supporters includeTV chef Anthony Worrall Thompson andartist David Hockney. FOREST’s president,Lord Harris of High Cross, says worldwidestudies over 25 years have failed “spectacularly”to establish any “significant link betweenlifetime exposure to environmental tobaccosmoke and lung cancer in non-smokers”.For an employee to prove their health problemsare a direct result of second hand smokeis not easy, but successful cases have beenbrought.Michael Dunn was reportedly paid up to£50,000 by a London casino in an out-of-courtsettlement after claiming he developed asthmabecause of passive smoking at work.In 1993, Stockport Council had to pay £15,000when years of passive smoking at work wasshown to have caused Veronica Bland’s chronicbronchitis.Already behind New York, Ireland, NewZealand and Australia, the Government’s publicconsultation exercise on smoking in publicplaces ended earlier this month. Submissionshave been made on four options including allowingthe voluntary smoking ban approach tocontinue and handing down responsibility forsmoking policies to local authorities.A ban with exemptions for premises thatdon’t sell food is another option. In Darlington,for example, this would mean 48 per cent ofpubs would be unaffected and smoking wouldcontinue.“The purpose of any change is health improvement,”says Mr Brown, “but if this optionwere chosen it would actually widen the currentinequalities in health. The majority ofpremises that would fall into this category,where the workforce and customers would continueto be unprotected, are in areas of thetown which already have a poor health record.”His view is backed by the Trades Union Congress,which is also pushing for an outrightban. The TUC says: “The current legislationwhich exempts pubs and bars not serving food,will leave workers who need it the most (in approximately30,000 pubs and private clubs) nobetter protected. The absence of a full ban willalso have a disproportionate impact on theNorth-East which has more of these pubs andclubs than most other parts of the country.”The option favoured by the Smoke FreeNorth-East campaign is a ban on smoking inany enclosed public place. Mr Brown says:“This would essentially cover most places ofwork and would therefore offer equal protectionto everyone, including people who workin the hospitality industry.“If the government follows our recommendation,the majority of work places would becomesmoke-free. In those circumstances I haveno doubt that employers will see reduced absenteeism,increased productivity and reducedcosts in areas like insurance andcleaning.”
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES: Advertising FeatureN E HEALTH29Road construction can lead to problemsMUSCULOSKELETALTHIS is by far the biggest problem in termsof number – in 2001/2, more than 1.1 millionpeople reported a musculoskeletal disorderwhich they believed was caused or madeworse by their current or past work.It includes bone, joint and muscle problemsaffecting the spine and limbs often inpeople whose jobs involve carrying, liftingand manufacturing but also office workerswho do a lot of computer work.Among the employees most prone aremetal plate workers, shipwrights and riveters,who show an annual average incidencerate that is 40 times the average for all occupations,followed by typists (18 times the average)and road construction workers (16times).MENTAL HEALTHOCCUPATIONAL stress and mental illnesshas become one of the most common causesof work sickness absence. In 2001-02, morethan half a million people said they were sufferingfrom a level of work-related stress thatwas making them ill.Members of the armed forces, medics,teachers, prison officers and police officersare among those most likely to be affected.Consultant psychiatrists have reportedthat NCOs and other ranks in the armedforces come out on top with incidence ofwork-related mental ill health in 2001-03 at 15times the overall average.There are six main categories of illness reportedto Surveillance of OccupationalStress and Mental Illness (SOSMI): anxiety/depression,post-traumatic stress disorder,other work related stress, alcohol anddrug abuse, psychotic episode, and otherswhich include chronic fatigue syndrome, obsessivecompulsive disorder and agoraphobia.Sufferers have reported a number of differentreasons they believe have caused oraggravated their disorder, one of the mostcommonly for anxiety/depression beingworkload and change.For post-traumatic stress disorder the effectsof witnessing events, for example bystaff in the emergency services, are often reported.In cases of reported drug and alcoholabuse the causes are often attributed to thestress of the job, but they also may be relatedto occupations where the substance is easilyavailable to the patient.A recent TUC survey revealed that morethan 50 per cent of workers believe their employersare unaware of the extent of workplacestress. Employees felt they were notgetting the support they needed to cope, leadingto stress-related problems developinginto more serious mental health conditions.An Indian head massage at a stressbustingday arranged by Stockton CouncilThe shape ofthings to comeThe industrial nature of the North-East has changed out of all recognition overthe past 50 years, but new jobs can sometimes bring new problems with them.SARAH FRENCH reports on modern work-related illnessFlorists are prone to skin problems while acoustic shock can affect call centre workersSKIN DISEASESACCORDING to Epiderm, run by the Healthand Occupation Reporting Network andfunded by the Health and Safety Executive,from 1993-1999 an estimated total of 12,574new cases of occupational skin disease wasreported by consultant dermatologists, nearly10,000 of which were contact dermatitis.It’s believed that more than 60,000 people sufferfrom work related skin disease in GreatBritain.Florists and floral arrangers are amongthose most affected, about 14 times the average.Beauty therapists and hairdressers arealso prone to skin diseases.Dermatitis and eczema can be caused byexposure to chemical irritants such as solventsand cutting fluids, so labourers involvedin the manufacture of basic metals,oil and gas extraction, grinding machine settersand operators, and printers are also consideredto be at risk.Clues to a work related cause include: thecomplaint erupting following exposure to asubstance at work, improving when the employeeis away from work and recurringwhen exposed to that substance upon returningto work; the condition appearing onareas of skin which have been exposed to aparticular substance at work; and other peopleworking with the substance having similarskin symptoms.HEARING LOSSINDUSTRIAL deafness is a recognised industrialdisease which is triggered by prolongedexposure to excessive levels of noise.If you have worked in any noisy occupationafter 1963 without ear protection and nowfind difficulty in hearing others speak or sufferfrom noises or ringing in your ears or haveexperienced temporary deafness you mayhave a claim.Industries most frequently associated withsensorineural hearing loss include a varietyof manufacturing industries, the constructiontrade, public administration and defence,of which 88.9 per cent of cases relateto the armed forces.Sensorineural hearing loss can be classedas mild, moderate or severe. Other categoriesinclude tinnitus (mild or severe), balanceproblems and tympanic disorders.ACOUSTIC SHOCKAN acoustic shock incident is defined by theHealth & Safety Executive as a sudden increasein high frequency noise transmittedthrough a headset, usually caused by interferenceon the telephone line.In the working environment, it is mostcommonly associated with call centres. It issaid to cause tinnitus (ringing in the ear),temporary hearing loss or even deafness aswell as depression, stress and anxiety.The vast majority of call handlers in callcentres wear headsets which contain builtinprotection against high noise levels.However, evidence of symptoms rangingfrom numbness and tenderness around theear to hypersensitivity to sound found inAustralian and Danish call centre workerswas presented to the first internationalacoustic shock conference held in Australiafour years ago.According to the Call Centre ManagementAssociation Acoustic Safety Programme,there have been 400 legally represented compensationclaims in the UK resulting in payoutstotalling £2m.Its chairman, Marcus Quilter, says: “Thefact is that acoustic shock is real, it is happeningtoday and it has the potential to presentserious and damaging costs to our organisations.”It’s still early days for acoustic shock, withstaff having little knowledge of how to recogniseit or what the long term effects may be.The HSE recommends that the industrykeeps up to date with any future developments.TOXIC MOULD SYNDROMETOXIC mould is an increasing source of litigationin the United States and Canadawhere there have been a number of high profilecourt cases from people claiming to havesuffered ill health as a result of exposure.Mould grows in damp, warm conditionsand concern has grown in the UK since theapparent increase in the frequency of homeflooding incidents.The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors(RICS) says toxic mould is estimated toaffect well over three million homes in theUK. Of particular concern is StachybotyrsChartarum, which is believed to cause asthmaand allergies.Materials such as wood, paper, wallboard,ceiling tiles, thermal and acoustic insulationmaterials, furnishing fabrics, even masonryand plaster will support mould growth providingsufficient moisture is present.Leaks from plumbing and heating, ventilationand air-conditioning systems can besources of mould growth in buildings.Warnings have gone out to surveyors aboutthe health and financial risks associatedwith toxic mould, although the jury is stillout on how widespread the effects will be.When the cashcomes in...AFTER three years of meetings,documents and medicalexaminations, you have heardfinally that your claim has beensuccessful and a cheque is on its way.No one would blame you now forsimply wanting to get on with your life.However, succeeding in acompensation claim shouldn’t be theend of the story.For some people, finally getting themoney they’ve been fighting for cancreate a whole new range of worries –What to do with the money? How longcan I make it last? What if mycondition gets worse? Will I stillreceive benefits?For example, if you receivecompensation, even an interimpayment, it will usually cut any meanstestedbenefits. And not being inreceipt of benefits can stop other freeservices such as free prescriptions.For many successful claimants,placing their compensation into aPersonal Injury Trust offers a solutionto protecting their money. It can beprotected from any means-testedbenefits and/or the cost of long termresidential care or nursing home fees.A Personal Injury Trust is arrangedprior to receipt of compensation.The beneficiary appoints their owntrustees who are responsible foradministering the trust fund for thebenefit of the claimant during theirlifetime.There should be at least two trusteeswho can be family members,independent professionals and/or asolicitor. Careful consideration shouldbe given to the choice of trustees toensure they can be trusted to lookafter the beneficiary’s interests.While means-tested benefits willusually meet the normal expenses ofdaily living, such as gas, water andelectricity, food, mortgage interest,council tax, most rents and certainpayments for residential care, oncearranged the beneficiary can accessthe trust fund for other purchases suchas a house, car or holidays.The trust fund can also be used topay for any legal or financial advice.Other important things to bear inmind if you receive compensation are:Wills – as well as having your ownwill, the wills of relatives or otherpeople who might leave something tothe compensated person must beworded correctly to avoid accidentalloss of means-tested benefits.Enduring power of attorney – theseare documents where you appointsomeone to look after yourproperty/finances that are not heldinside the Personal Injury Trust. It isvital if you become mentally orphysically incapable and can bearranged at the same time as yourPersonal Injury Trust.Stewart Thompson, an independentfinancial adviser with Blackett Hart &Pratt in Darlington, said: “We alwaysrecommend that you seekprofessional, independent advicebefore making any firm decisions onwhat to do with your compensation.The aim is to make the compensationwork for you and to maximise this tomaintain the best quality of life youcan and to give you peace of mind inthe future.”● For independent financial advice,contact Blackett Hart & Pratt on(01325) 466794 or 0191-3840840.
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SPORTS INJURY How to tackle it EXERCISE The power of Pilates ...

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