Every year on August 1, the world observes World Lung Cancer Day, a global campaign to increase knowledge of occupational lung cancer, its effects, and the value of early identification, prevention, and innovative treatments.
World Lung Cancer Day, established in 2012 by Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) , educates the public about occupational lung diseases and serves as a platform to support those affected and emphasize collective action in the fight against lung cancer.
NHS Prioritizes Respiratory Disease in New Clinical Plan
Exposure to irritants, hazardous substances, and workplace chemicals can cause a range of respiratory diseases, from mild to life-threatening.
Each year, millions of people worldwide die from work-related lung conditions like asthma, emphysema, lung cancer, asbestosis, silicosis, and COPD, which devastate lives and health.
In England, respiratory disease is the third leading cause of death, impacting one in five people, primarily due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and lung cancer.
These lung conditions cost the NHS an estimated £11 billion annually, and hospital admissions for respiratory disease have tripled in the last seven years.
Consequently, the NHS Long Term Plan prioritizes respiratory disease, detailing investment goals to enhance treatment and support, aiming to meet or exceed international health outcomes.
What is occupational lung diseases?
Employers are legally obligated to prevent health risks and reduce exposure to hazardous substances, particularly for respiratory conditions, but these protections are often insufficient, leading to occupational lung diseases in employees due to airborne particles from various work environments.
Examples of work-related lung diseases:
- Asbestosis: Caused by long-term exposure to asbestos fibres and dust, resulting in fibrosis and thickening of lung tissue, making breathing difficult and causing thickening of pleura membranes.
- Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis or black lung disease: Caused by Inhaling coal dust, resulting in scarring and inflammation of the lungs.
- Caused by breathing in airborne crystalline silica, found in mines, foundries, blasting operations, stone, clay, and glass manufacturing facilities, causes lung scarring and increases lung disease risk.
- Byssinosis or brown lung disease: Caused by breathing in dust from hemp, flax, and cotton processing. It affects textile workers, especially those who work with unprocessed cotton.
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: Is an allergic lung disease, caused by inflamed air sacs from inhaling substances like fungus spores, bacteria, protein, or chemicals, can result in various forms like cork worker’s lung, farmer’s lung, and mushroom worker’s lung.
- Work-related asthma: Caused by exposure to dusts, gases, fumes, and vapours, is more prevalent in certain industries like manufacturing, farming, animal care, food processing, and textiles.
Recognizing the Warning Signs: Symptoms of Work-Related Lung Diseases
The symptoms may differ from person to person. Common symptoms of lung diseases include:
- Coughing / coughing up blood.
- Shortness of breath, which often gets worse with activity.
- Chest pain
- Chest tightness
- Abnormal breathing patterns
- Wheezing
- Scratchy, dry, or sore throat
Lung diseases linked to the workplace can have symptoms that mimic those of other illnesses or issues. For a diagnosis, always consult a healthcare professional.
The Diagnostic Journey: How Work-Related Lung Diseases Are Identified
Healthcare providers should inquire about a person’s symptoms, job, and work exposure to determine the type and severity of lung disease and may require tests to determine the appropriate treatments. Including:
Chest X-ray
A test that takes pictures of internal tissues, bones, and organs.
Pulmonary function tests
These tests measure lung function by measuring air movement in and out using breathing-in machines.
Bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy is a test using a bronchoscope to view the lungs’ main airways, diagnose lung problems, detect blockages, extract tissue or fluid samples, or remove foreign bodies, involving a flexible tube.
- A tiny sample of tissue, cells, or fluid is removed from the lung during this examination. After that, this is examined under a microscope.
- Bronchoalveolar lavage. To identify inflammation and rule out specific reasons, Cells from the lower respiratory tract are extracted during this examination.
- To get a sample of lung tissue for analysis, surgery may be required.
Blood gas
This test quantifies the blood’s levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide. To check for potential infections and other issues, additional blood tests might be performed.
CT scan
A CT scan is an imaging test using X-rays and a computer to create detailed images of the body, including bones, muscles, fat, and organs, used to diagnose lung diseases, monitor disease progression, and evaluate treatment response.
How are work-related lung diseases treated?
There is no cure for most work-related lung diseases other than lung transplant. Treatments are aimed at:
- Preventing further exposure
- Preventing more lung scarring
- Managing symptoms
- Helping you stay active and healthy.
The treatment for lung disease varies based on the type of disease, and there is no method to fix existing lung scarring.
However, if you developed a respiratory illness due to exposure to hazardous conditions, you may be entitled to compensation for your suffering.
Frequently asked questions:
What can I claim?
Each Industrial Disease case must be treated individually, and not every case will be the same. In any claim for personal injury there are broadly two heads of damages that can be claimed:
Awards that are made for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity of life. Loss of amenity means the inability to complete activities, either temporarily or permanently, after an accident, which could be undertaken before. This is an award designed to compensate you for the actual injuries suffered, and the effect those have had on your quality of life.
Awarded in result of financial losses, including earnings loss, medication costs, and additional care from family or care providers. Judges, insurance companies, and solicitors use the Judicial Guidelines to determine what can be expected from an injury or symptoms.
As a rough guide, claims for general damages for the different types of disease claims are as follows:
Asbestos-related illness – Depending on the illness, the award can range from £60,000 – £110,000.
Occupational Asthma – Award will normally fall between £3,000 – £12,000.
To stress – this is an estimate of what most cases settle for. It is only once medical evidence has been obtained that a full assessment of the value of the general damages can be made. The settlement figure may be higher or lower than the figures quoted above.
How much is my claim worth?
The value of the claim will solely be depending on the issues which are medically associated with your work exposure. We will instruct an appropriate expert with an expert field in respiratory medicine; it will be once a medical report has been produced that we will be able to accurately assess the value of the claim.
The claims range for these types of cases can be from a few thousand pounds to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
How do I make a claim?
If you have read the above and feel that you may be suffering from any of the symptoms whilst exposed to substances at work, call Oakwood Solicitors to speak to a member of our dedicated Industrial Disease team.
To run most personal injury claims, you must have started the claim within three years of the injury. However, with industrial disease claims it may be that the injury started over a period of time and was only diagnosed within the last three years. We will be able to clarify this for you.
How would my case be funded?
Our cases are brought on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If we accept your claim, if terms of the agreement are complied with by yourself – namely that you do not mislead and you co-operate – there will be no charge to you in the event of the case failing.
If the case succeeds, there will be a deduction to be made from the damages.
Further information:
Oakwood Solicitors Respiratory Disease Claims.
Occupational Lung Diseases.
NHS Lung cancer overview.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
If you have been impacted by occupational lung disease because of hazardous exposure at work. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you with your enquiry.
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Liam Hill is a Solicitor and Deputy Head of the Industrial Disease Team, having trained and qualified at Oakwood Solicitors. Liam joined us in 2013 after successfully completing the Legal Practice C…
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