APPG calls for evidence on silicosis risk reduction

All-Party Parliamentary Group conducting one-year update inquiry on 2020 silicosis report

THE All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Respiratory Health is conducting a one-year update inquiry into its 2020 report on silicosis, to consider latest developments in risk reduction strategies for companies involved in silica dust exposure.

The 2020 report, ‘Silicosis – the New Asbestos?’, summarised the results of the APPG and B&CE’s joint six-month inquiry which looked at the disease burden of silicosis, the diagnosis, treatment, and management of the disease, and the impact on patients’ lives.

Silicosis is the most common chronic occupational lung disease worldwide, affecting hundreds of workers every year. It is the biggest danger to construction workers after asbestos and is entirely preventable.

An estimated 600,000 workers are exposed to silica in the UK, and the consequences of silicosis are estimated to cost employers in the construction industry about £1 million per year.

Since the APPG published the report, several stakeholders have provided updates and advances on new technologies designed to further protect the workforce, all of which the APPG was unaware of at the time of the original report. It has decided, therefore, to update the report to allow consideration of technological advances in the proper context and to explore their advantages.

The APPG is inviting all businesses and other stakeholders within the construction sector to submit evidence to its update report. The deadline for submission is 4 March 2022. Any organizations or individuals interested in putting forward evidence should contact the APPG secretariat at: [email protected]