New Workplace Charter unveiled
19 November 2008

Sainsbury’s has shown its commitment to reducing asthma and its impact at work by signing up to Asthma UK’s new and improved Workplace Charter, 'Asthma at Work – Your Charter'.

At one of Sainsbury’s in-store bakeries, Asthma UK’s Chief Executive, Neil Churchill and Lord McKenzie, Minister at the Department for Work & Pensions, joined Neil Lennox, Group Head of Occupational Health & Safety at Sainsbury’s to find out how new equipment and training procedures are helping to minimise occupational asthma risks associated with flour dust in its stores throughout the UK.

 Download the Workplace Charter (481 kb)

'Asthma at Work – Your Charter' sets out five key measures to significantly reduce asthma and its impact in the workplace and is aimed at employers, employees and health professionals. It was founded in 2004 on the belief that no-one should have to work in an environment that compromises their health and well-being, and has recently been re-designed and made more concise.

Every year in the UK, up to 3,000 people develop occupational asthma because of exposure to harmful substances at work and 52% of employees with pre-existing asthma say triggers at work make their asthma worse. The total cost to society of occupational asthma has been estimated at up to £1.1 billion over ten years.

Neil Lennox, Group Head of Occupational Health & Safety at Sainsbury’s, said: ‘We take the health and well-being of our employees extremely seriously, so wherever possible we are committed to preventing occupational asthma and to ensuring those who already have the condition are protected at work. Working days lost to preventable conditions such as occupational asthma also have a major impact on our business, so it’s vital that we invest in measures to protect the long-term health of staff.’

'Asthma at Work – Your Charter' encourages employers to develop policies to prevent exposure to substances that might trigger an asthma attack or potentially cause asthma, and to take simple steps to ensure that all employees know what to do in the event of an asthma attack, such as having one of Asthma UK’s Asthma Attack Cards in a first aid box – which could save a life.

Lord McKenzie, Minister for the Department of Work and Pensions said: ‘Asthma can be a debilitating and frightening condition that restricts people’s lives, so it is unacceptable that some people are faced with a working environment that can lead to the development of asthma, or make their pre-existing asthma worse.

‘By working with other partners to promote the Asthma at Work Charter, the Health & Safety Executive can help improve reporting and prevention of asthma in the workplace and enhance the quality of life of people with asthma.’

A number of small, medium and large organisations across the UK are already signed up as Charter partners, including the HSE, the TUC, Volvo Car UK, The Body Shop, London Underground, South Wales Construction Safety Group and a number of local councils.

Neil Churchill, Chief Executive at Asthma UK, said: ‘With over 12 million days taken off work due to asthma every year and a third of people with asthma saying their employer is not doing enough to protect them at work, it’s clear the cost of work-related asthma is enormous, both to people’s health and to society. We’re delighted that Sainsbury’s and other organisations across the UK are committed to tackling this issue, but it’s vital that more employers take asthma seriously and act now to reduce the health risks in their workplaces.’

To find out more about becoming a Charter partner, or to order a copy of 'Asthma at Work – Your Charter', contact Asthma UK on 08456 03 81 43, email us or order online.