UK Silicosis Dashboard launched
A new UK Silicosis Dashboard has been launched by researchers from The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) network at The University of Manchester, providing a publicly accessible source of information on silicosis cases across the UK.
SWORD (Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease) national surveillance scheme is funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The silicosis dashboard, modelled on the , and supported through , brings together information on case numbers, demographics, geography and industry sectors affected by silicosis, including engineered stone (ES) silicosis.聽
Silicosis is a serious and irreversible lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica dust. Increasing concern about cases linked to ES has highlighted the importance of surveillance data in understanding the scale of the issue and supporting effective prevention measures.聽
The dashboard has been designed to make occupational respiratory disease data more accessible to researchers, policymakers, occupational health professionals and others with an interest in worker health and safety.聽
I am absolutely delighted to see the development of a silicosis dashboard using data from THOR, the national occupational disease reporting surveillance scheme. HSE funds the collection of data relating to new cases of ill health attributed to work by the University of Manchester, and this includes new cases of silicosis diagnosed in GB by health care professionals.
The new Silicosis Dashboard, very recently launched, makes these real time data highly accessible to all who wish to understand how new cases of silicosis are occurring in GB over time and in different geographies of GB. I hope that this dashboard, hosted by the THOR website, will provide crucially important information to a variety of stakeholders and will heighten awareness of silicosis and other work-related ill health issues. Preventative approaches are key to reducing new cases of this disabling condition.
Users can explore numbers of reported cases, examine patterns across different industries and locations, and gain insights into the changing nature of silicosis in the UK. New data will be added weekly, with fully cleaned datasets being incorporated every three months.
Improving access to high-quality occupational health surveillance data is an important step in supporting research, identifying emerging risks and helping organisations take preventative action to protect workers from harmful exposure to silica dust.
The dashboard forms part of THOR's ongoing work to improve understanding of work-related ill health and provide evidence that can support prevention, policy development and workplace interventions.
The is now available to explore online. View the UK Silicosis Dashboard