Occupational Disease: Causes, Examples and Legal Duties

• Occupational diseases develop from long-term workplace exposures, not single accidents.
• To qualify as occupational, there must be a clear link between the disease and work, confirmed by medical diagnosis.
• Some diseases are legally reportable under RIDDOR 2013. These include occupational asthma, dermatitis, hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), noise-induced hearing loss and occupational cancers.
• Employers must assess risks, control exposure, provide health surveillance and report cases to protect workers and avoid legal repercussions.

An occupational disease is an illness that develops because of conditions at work. It is not caused by a single incident but by repeated or long-term exposure to harmful agents.

Different exposures lead to different forms of harm that employers are legally required to control, including:

• Lung disease from breathing in dust or asbestos fibres
• Dermatitis from regular contact with cleaning chemicals or solvents
• Hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) from daily use of vibrating tools

To be recognised as an occupational disease, there must be clear medical evidence linking the disease to the person’s work and confirmed workplace exposure.

Employers are expected to identify these risks early, control exposure, and monitor workers’ health. Failing to do so can lead to enforcement action and prosecution under health and safety law.

Not every illness that happens to a worker is an occupational disease. To qualify, there must be a proven link between the job and the condition.

Key factors that show this link include:

• Workplace exposure: The worker has been exposed to a hazard such as dust, asbestos, chemicals, noise or vibration.
• Medical diagnosis: A doctor confirms that the condition is one known to result from such exposure.
• Timing: The disease develops after a period of work where the exposure occurred, not before.
• Exclusion of other causes: The evidence shows it is more likely to have been caused by work than by lifestyle or other factors.

Some diseases have latent periods (years or decades) between exposure and onset (especially lung diseases due to fibers, dust, asbestos).

Several diseases are recognised as being caused by work. Some of the most common include:

Long-term inhalation of asbestos fibres causes scarring of the lungs (asbestosis) and an aggressive cancer (mesothelioma). These diseases may not show symptoms until decades after exposure. They remain a major issue in construction, demolition, shipbuilding and maintenance of older buildings. Asbestos still kills more than 5,000 people each year in Great Britain.

This is a serious lung disease caused by breathing in fine particles of crystalline silica dust. High-risk jobs include stone cutting, quarrying, construction, and foundry work. Silicosis can cause severe breathing problems and increase the risk of tuberculosis and lung cancer.

Caused by breathing in certain substances at work, such as flour dust in bakeries, isocyanates in spray paints, wood dust or cleaning chemicals. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest, often worsening during work and improving on days off. If exposure continues or treatment is delayed, the inflammation can cause lasting lung damage and permanent asthma.

Also known as occupational contact dermatitis, this is a type of skin inflammation triggered by direct contact with irritants or allergens. It is common in jobs involving cleaning agents, solvents, cement, hairdressing products or frequent wet work.

This disease develops from regular use of hand-held vibrating tools such as drills, grinders, jackhammers and chainsaws. The vibration damages the blood vessels, nerves and joints in the hands and arms.

Early symptoms include tingling and numbness in the fingers. Over time, workers may lose grip strength, struggle with fine tasks and suffer painful circulation problems. In cold weather, the fingers can turn white and then red – a condition known as vibration white finger. Once HAVS develops, the damage is permanent and cannot be cured.

Prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage the delicate hair cells in the inner ear that detect sound. Once these cells are destroyed, they do not recover. The condition can gradually lead to irreversible hearing loss or persistent ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

Workers in construction, manufacturing, heavy industry, and music or entertainment are more at risk because they are frequently exposed to high noise levels. Controlling noise by maintaining equipment, hearing protection and regular monitoring can reduce the risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

Certain workplace exposures can cause cancer. For example, asbestos and silica dust can cause lung cancer and exposure to some chemicals (such as aromatic amines) can cause bladder cancer.

MSDs affect muscles, joints, tendons and nerves. They are often linked to repetitive tasks, awkward postures, heavy lifting or prolonged computer use. Different work tasks place stress on different areas of the body, resulting in disorders such as:

• Back pain from lifting, twisting or prolonged sitting
• Tendonitis from repetitive movements or overuse of specific muscle groups
• Carpal tunnel syndrome from sustained wrist or hand strain during manual or computer-based tasks
• Neck and shoulder strain from poor posture or workstation setup
• Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) from continuous, unvaried work such as typing or assembly tasks

While there is no single “most common” cause across all sectors, the leading contributors to occupational diseases and the specific disorders they cause each year and the number of cases reported by HSE are discussed below:

• Dust and fibres – Asbestos and silica are major causes of lung disease. HSE recorded 2,218 mesothelioma deaths in 2023.
• Chemicals – Cleaning agents, flour dust, wood dust and isocyanates cause asthma and dermatitis. According to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) data, there were 30 new cases of occupational asthma in 2023.
• Noise – Long-term exposure causes permanent hearing loss. HSE estimates around 12,000 workers each year suffer hearing problems caused or made worse by work.
• Vibration – Causes hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The IIDB figures show 215 new cases of HAVS in 2023.
• Repetitive work – Poor posture and repetitive tasks drive musculoskeletal disorders. HSE reports around 543,000 workers suffered from MSDs in 2023/24.

Occupational diseases can be grouped into four main categories. Knowing these helps you understand where the risks may come from in your business:

Illnesses caused by exposure to hazardous substances such as asbestos, silica, solvents, pesticides and cleaning agents. Examples include occupational asthma, dermatitis, silicosis and certain cancers.

Conditions caused by physical factors at work such as noise, vibration, radiation or extreme temperatures. Examples include noise-induced hearing loss and hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

Infections or diseases caused by exposure to bacteria, viruses or other biological agents in the workplace. Healthcare workers, laboratory staff and farm workers are at higher risk. Examples include tuberculosis, hepatitis and zoonotic diseases.

Conditions that result from poor workplace design, repetitive movements or awkward manual handling. Examples include musculoskeletal disorders and repetitive strain injuries.

As an employer, you need to assess risks in each of these categories. The type of hazard depends on your industry, but every sector has some exposure that must be managed.

Some sectors carry higher rates of work-related ill health. According to HSE:

• Health and social care, public administration, and education sectors show above-average rates of self-reported work-related ill health.
• Construction, manufacturing, transport & storage, wholesale & retail have higher than average rates of non-fatal injuries and illnesses.
• In food and drink manufacture, nearly 5 % of that workforce report ill health made worse or caused by work annually.

A reportable occupational disease is an illness that the law requires you to notify to the HSE when it is formally diagnosed in a worker. The requirement comes from the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

The duty applies if:

• A doctor provides a written diagnosis, and
• The disease is linked to work that involves a specific hazard listed in the regulations.

Examples of reportable occupational diseases include:

• Occupational asthma – caused by substances such as flour dust, isocyanates or wood dust.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome – linked to regular use of vibrating tools.
• Hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) – from prolonged use of drills, grinders or similar equipment.
• Occupational dermatitis – due to skin contact with harmful substances.
• Noise-induced hearing loss – caused by long-term exposure to loud environments.
• Occupational cancers – linked to asbestos, silica, diesel fumes or certain chemicals.

If you fail to report a case, your business risks prosecution and fines. RIDDOR reports provide HSE with data to track risks across industries and enforce controls.

The terms “occupational illness” and “occupational disease” are often used together, but they are not the same.

• Occupational illness is a broad term. It covers any health problem caused or made worse by work. This could include temporary conditions such as mild back pain, headaches, or short-term respiratory irritation.
• Occupational disease is more specific. It refers to a medically recognised disease with a proven link to work exposure, such as mesothelioma from asbestos, silicosis from silica dust, or dermatitis from chemicals. These diseases are usually long-term, serious and often irreversible.

In practice, the terms sometimes overlap; in regulation and reporting, the disease label carries more weight.

Depression can be triggered or aggravated by work conditions (bullying, excessive demand, low support). However, it is rarely classified as an occupational disease in the traditional lists.

Employers have legal duties (under the Health and Safety at Work Act) to manage psychosocial risks, assess stress and ensure safe systems of work. Many cases of depression linked to work are considered under work-related ill health rather than formal occupational disease lists.

UK law places clear duties on you to prevent occupational diseases.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires you to protect employees from both accidents and long-term health risks. Other regulations build on this duty.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require you to carry out risk assessments and control workplace hazards.

Specific laws, such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, the Control of Asbestos Regulations, the Noise at Work Regulations and the Vibration at Work Regulations, set out how to manage particular risks.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013 require you to report certain diagnosed occupational diseases such as asthma, dermatitis, HAVS, hearing loss and some cancers.

These laws make it your duty to identify risks, control them and protect your workforce.

The most effective way to deal with occupational diseases is to stop them before they start. Once a disease develops, it is often permanent. As an employer, you are expected to take practical steps to prevent exposure.

Start with a risk assessment. Identify hazards such as dust, chemicals, noise, vibration or repetitive tasks. Decide who may be at risk and how.

Apply the hierarchy of control:

• Eliminate the hazard if possible.
• Substitute safer materials or processes.
• Use engineering controls such as extraction systems or enclosures.
• Introduce safe work procedures and training.
• Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) as a last line of defence.

Set up health surveillance for workers exposed to risks. This can detect early signs of disease such as skin checks for dermatitis, lung function tests for asthma or hearing tests for noise exposure.

Encourage workers to report symptoms early. Act quickly on any warning signs to prevent long-term harm.

By focusing on prevention, you not only protect your workforce but also reduce costs from sickness absence, claims and enforcement action.

As an employer, you must ensure your workforce understands workplace hazards, knows how to work safely, and can recognise early warning signs of disease.

Human Focus provides a wide range of online health and safety courses designed to help you meet these responsibilities. Training covers the main risks linked to occupational diseases, including asbestos exposure, hazardous substances (COSHH), noise and vibration, manual handling, and respiratory protection.

Each course teaches workers how to identify hazards, prevent exposure, recognise symptoms, and report concerns promptly.