Aims. To update notifications to the Occupational Safety and Health Service
of the Department of Labour (OSH) Notifiable Occupational Disease System (
NODS) from June 1996 to the beginning of 1999.
Methods. All notifications received for non-asbestos related occupational r
espiratory disease were reviewed to confirm the clinical diagnosis, occupat
ional causation, and to identify the causative agent where possible.
Results. 54 cases of asthma were notified, of which 21 (39%) were accepted
as being occupationally caused. These cases arose from 'predictable' indust
ries.
Conclusions. NODS offers sentinel data from interested practitioners and wo
rkplaces. Occupational asthma and other occupational respiratory diseases r
emain poorly notified to this system. NODS confirms the presence of occupat
ional asthma in New Zealand from predictable and preventable causes not dis
similar to other countries. This data collection system needs supplementati
on by other mechanisms.