Over 300 workplace substances have been identified to cause new-onset asthma and the list continues to grow 1, 2. Other substances can aggravate pre-existing asthma, causing increased illness and medication requirements. Work-related asthma (WRA) comprises both new-onset and work-aggravated asthma3. An estimated 15-55% of all adult asthma is related to work4-7.
Since 1988, Michigan has received funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for the development and continuation of a WRA surveillance and workplace intervention program. Other states have intermittently conducted WRA surveillance, but Michigan is the only state to track WRA consistently for 31 years. Furthermore, Michigan is the only state where the surveillance program is part of a regulatory program to conduct enforcement inspections at the workplaces of the individuals identified with WRA. A recent article, “The Burden of Work-Related Asthma in Michigan,” reported on the 3,634 confirmed cases of WRA identified over 31 years in Michigan. Key findings were: