ERS position paper: work-related respiratory diseases in the EU

According to a 2000 estimate based on workforce data and the CAREX (Carcinogen Exposure) database [1] there were 386,000 deaths worldwide due to noncancer respiratory diseases (asthma: 38,000; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): 318,000; pneumoconioses: 30,000) and nearly 6.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (asthma: 1,621,000; COPD: 3,733,000; pneumoconioses: 1,288,000) attributable to occupational exposure to airborne particulates. The same figures for Europe were 52,700 deaths (asthma: 6,200; COPD: 39,300; pneumoconioses: 7,200) and 868,000 DALYs (asthma: 139,000; COPD: 468,000; pneumoconioses: 261,000). Respiratory diseases rank as the third most prevalent occupational disease category (after ergonomic and stress-related diseases) according to a survey of occupational diseases in the European Union (EU). The prevalence of respiratory diseases was 296 per 100,000 population, with the highest proportion found in the mining industry. This amounts to almost 600,000 persons in the former 15 member states. Many of these diseases, though induced while working, are chronic, thus explaining the highest prevalence among older workers (0.5% aged 55-64 yrs).