SWORD '99: surveillance of work-related and occupational respiratory disease in the UK

Systematic reports from chest and occupational physicians under the SWORD a nd OPRA (Occupational Physicians Reporting Activity) surveillance schemes c ontinue to provide a picture of the incidence of occupational respiratory d isease in the UK. An estimated total of 4393 incident cases (comprising 453 0 diagnoses) were reported during the 1999 calendar year, an increase of 14 27 cases over the previous year. Benign pleural disease was the single most frequently reported condition (28% of all diagnoses reported). Occupationa l asthma cases (1168; 26%) remained high, as did mesothelioma (1032; 23%), Analysis of trends over the past 8 years shows an increase in mesothelioma cases, but little change in asthma, The annual incidence per 100 000 employ ed people, 1996-1999, for mesothelioma, lung cancer and pneumoconiosis was high amongst construction workers (28.7), miners and quarrymen (26.5), wood workers (18.9) and gas, coal and chemical workers (15.2). Trends in mesothe lioma incidence by birth cohort continue to show an increase in constructio n workers and a continuing decline in shipyard and insulation workers. The relative proportion of pneumoconiosis cases attributed to coal mining has f allen steadily in workers born since similar to 1920 and most cases are now in men who have been employed in quarrying and rock drilling.