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800-ARL-01-IMKI © 2019, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | wsps.ca
The workplace can trigger or induce asthma through a variety of different types of occupational
exposures. Cleaning agents have been commonly implicated as causative or triggering factors in
work-related asthma (WRA), mainly from epidemiologic studies.
A recent study
1
provided a comparison between socio-demographic and clinical features in
patients exposed to cleaning and non-cleaning products.
The data used for analysis came from a patient database containing 208 patients with probable
WRA. They had all been assessed by the senior responsible author in this study (a respiratory
physician) after being referred to the asthma and airway centre of a tertiary centre hospital in
Toronto, Canada from 2000 to 2015.
The database included gender, industry category, work status, smoking status, pulmonary
function, Ontario workplace safety insurance board (WSIB) compensation claim submitted,
WRA caused by precipitating event, improvement when removed from work exposure, airflow
obstruction at baseline and significant bronchodilator response.
Patients Divided into Two Groups
The patients were distinguished into two different groups. The 'cleaning group' consisted of
patients whose reported exposure was coded cleaning products, including cleaning of machinery
and equipment. The 'non-cleaning' group was defined as the remaining patients with WRA whose
reported exposure did not include cleaning-related products.
The results identified multiple cleaning products that are potential respiratory irritants and
sensitizers. The most frequent exposures were surfactants, alcohols, disinfectants and acids.
In addition, the exposures were commonly mixed, and often included additional potential
sensitizers or irritants.
Conclusion
In conclusion, WRA is known to be a debilitating but preventable disease. By reducing exposure
to cleaning products that impact asthma, it may lead to a higher proportion of workers being able
to continue their work, improving their quality of life and lowering socio-economic burden. A
focus on prevention has been advised for these workers as for other groups at increased risk and
may result in less WRA.
1
Reference: Li, R. W. H., Lipszyc, J. C., Prasad, S., & Tarlo, S. M. (2018). Work-related asthma from cleaning agents
versus other agents. Occupational Medicine, 68(9), 587–592. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqy137
Work-Related Asthma from Cleaning Agents Versus Other Agents
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