NAC is now backing a TUC campaign for the introduction of a souped-up, stricter version of the law. Both organisations are calling for a National Register of People with Asthma, a licensing system for the manufacturers of chemicals that cause asthma, and improved rights for people who develop occupational asthma. At the moment it is perfectly legally for an employer to sack a worker who develops occupational asthma if they are too sick to do their job - even if the employer's negligence and poor workplace conditions were to blame. Asthma symptoms are a tight feeling in the chest, wheeziness or chestiness - like breathing through a kinked straw, according to one doctor. Many sufferers with occupational asthma feel much better when off work over the weekend or when on holiday.
Symptoms tend to begin again when the person returns to work and get worse through the working week.
Once this has happened minute exposures can cause a full-blown asthma attack. Many sufferers lose their job as a result. Workers with irritant asthma may be able to tolerate moderately high levels of workplace pollutants so many can continue in work. Increasing numbers of us are becoming sensitive to chemicals. Today's generation of school kids are twice as likely to have asthma as we were.