Asthma in the workplace: what our supporters told us

We wanted to find out how out how our supporters manage their asthma at work. We surveyed 2,000 of our supporters to find out more about how they handle their asthma at work. Laura from our Policy team talks us through what they told us.

Your asthma in the workplace

Working in certain places, like construction sites or bakeries, can cause asthma symptoms to get worse. This is because there are asthma triggers in these workplaces such as dust and fumes; strenuous activity or stress can also make symptoms worse. Some workplaces can also cause asthma, this is known as occupational asthma (OA).

What you told us about your asthma at work

We wanted to find out how out how our supporters manage their asthma at work so we surveyed 2,000 of our supporters to find out more about how they handle their asthma at work.

 Some of our key findings are below:

 Nearly a third (29.6%) of respondents told us their symptoms get worse at work.

Over half (55.%) of our survey respondents had experienced a flare up of their lung condition at work.

But worryingly, nearly half (47.9%) did not think their employer would know what to do if they had an asthma attack.

Reassuringly, the vast majority of people (91.4%) were able to use their inhaler when they had an exacerbation at work.

And over three quarters (76.9%) of respondents told us it was very easy to access their inhaler at work.

We also found that the impact of asthma on people’s work was mixed:

• 43.4% of respondents had taken time off work due to their asthma or lung condition.

• 16.3% of respondents said that they fear that their asthma or lung condition might hold them back in the workplace.

• 14.8% of respondents said that they fear their income may be affected by their asthma or lung condition.

• 11.2% of respondents had to reduce their hours due their asthma or lung condition.

• But 35.8% of respondents felt that their asthma or lung condition did not affect their work.

What we want to see from the government

To reduce the risk of having an asthma attack at work or anywhere else, we need the government to ensure health services can deliver good basic care for everyone with asthma.

This should include:

• Greater public awareness of what asthma is, and how to prevent and treat asthma attacks, especially in the workplace.

• An NHS workforce with the resources to support people with lung conditions. This needs to include availability of GP appointments, GPs and nurses to have the knowledge required to conduct annual asthma reviews, inhaler technique checks and discuss treatment options, and all healthcare professionals to receive first aid training around asthma attacks.

• Access to better technology, such as digital apps, to help people with asthma manage their own condition effectively.

• Making lung health a priority in the Major Conditions Strategy, the government’s strategy to prevent, diagnose, treat and manage the 6 major groups of health conditions that most affect the population in England. You can have your say on this here.

How to reduce your risk of an asthma attack at work

There are lots of things you can do to make sure your asthma does not get worse at work.

1.      Keep a copy of your self-management plan or action plan at work. This will mean colleagues can help if you get symptoms.

2.      Talk to the first aiders at work about how they can help if you have an asthma attack.

3.      Keep up your medicine routine. Preventer inhalers should be taken every day even if you do not have symptoms.

4.      Always have your reliever inhaler with you if you use one. Tell your colleagues where you keep it in case you can’t get to it yourself when having an asthma attack.

5.      Tell your colleagues about your asthma, and what your triggers are. Your employer may be able to make reasonable adjustments such as providing you with protective equipment, to help stop your asthma getting worse at work.

 Our survey found that people with asthma think it would be useful for employers, other colleagues and first aiders to have more understanding, awareness, and knowledge of asthma. If you are an employer, you can check what your responsibilities are on this page.

To find out more about working with asthma and other lung conditions, check out our website.