www.pedipress.com/Occupational asthma is defined as a disease characterized by variable airflow obstruction and/or airway hyper-responsiveness due to agents in the working environment. In a variety of industrial and technical jobs, occupational asthma can be serious enough to cause a person to change professions or receive workmen’s compensation while being retrained for another job.
So, How Much Control Can You Have at Work?
To ensure your health, as well as your employment, it is important that you look for ways to eliminate or reduce potential asthma triggers in the office. Some common asthma triggers in the office setting include:
- mold and fungi (in air ducts, plants and books),
- dust and dust mites (that accumulate on venetian blinds, in boxes and papers in storage rooms, and in carpeting),
- copier fumes (from improperly vented copy machines),
- perfumes and colognes (from co-workers),
- tobacco smoke (that may travel through the air vents, or flow into your area from the smokers’ lounge),
- cockroaches (and the pesticides used to treat them),and
- stress from overwork, and reduced resistance from long work hours.
You Can Reduce Asthma Triggers in the Office
Be proactive and take control. You might want to purchase a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter for your office. Many times, all that is needed to reduce these triggers is for you to ask. Start by asking your supervisor.... Can the horizontal blinds in your office be replaced by vertical blinds? Can the air ducts be cleaned and the copier properly vented? If your office is near to a smoking area in the building, can you be moved to another area? If the office is to be fumigated, ask if you can work from home that day. Chances are your supervisor will react positively to your situation and want to help.
Your co-workers may not be aware that by wearing perfume, or by bringing a pet to work, they are making it difficult for you to breathe. Educate your fellow employees about the health risks this poses for you.
Don’t Let Stress Take Your Breath Away
One of the most prevalent asthma triggers at work is stress. But how can you reduce stress in the office?
Prioritize – Set realistic deadlines. Always do your best, but do what needs to be done in a timely and efficient manner. There are many time management courses available to help you with this.
Plan for the Unexpected – No matter how hard we try to plan our days, crisis will always arise. Leave some “blank spaces” in your daily plan for these unexpected circumstances.
Use Teamwork – If you are in a position where you can delegate, do it. Many people think that they must take on tasks themselves in order to do things right. If you are part of the support staff, share responsibilities with your co-workers wherever you can, making use of your individual skills and strengths.
Take a Break – Allow some “down time” in your work day. If you tend to spend long hours in the office, make a plan to shorten those work hours a few days each week. Long work hours impose a physical, as well as mental, stress on your body, which weakens your resistance to asthma triggers.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has addressed the issue of asthma. You have a right to work in an environment that does not present an unnecessary health risk to you. Good Luck!
Online Resources
The American College of Allergy and Immunology
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