Exposure to harmful airborne substances remains one of the most serious long-term health threats in the modern workplace, from construction dust and welding fumes to cleaning chemicals and wood particulates.
According to the HSE, an estimated 12,000 deaths each year in Great Britain are linked to past exposure to dust, fumes and chemicals in the workplace. Many of these conditions, such as COPD, asthma, silicosis, or occupational lung cancer, develop slowly over time, making prevention and early intervention absolutely critical.
In today’s data-driven safety culture, digital tools like AssessNET’s Hazard Reporting and COSHH & SDS modules play a vital role in protecting workers’ lung health, providing organisations with visibility, accountability and smarter control of airborne risks across industries.
Understanding occupational lung disease and its impact
The effects of lung disease extend far beyond the individual. For employers, poor control of airborne hazards leads to higher absenteeism, reduced productivity, increased insurance premiums and reputational damage.
In sectors such as construction, manufacturing, mining, and engineering, lung-related risks are not new but they are often underestimated. Fine silica dust, welding fumes, diesel exhaust, isocyanates and flour dust are among the leading culprits. Many are invisible to the naked eye yet capable of causing irreversible lung damage.
Every employer must ensure that exposure to hazardous substances is eliminated or reduced to levels below Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs).
However, identifying, monitoring and controlling these hazards requires more than a paper process. It demands systems that connect people, data and action.
Using digital hazard reporting to prevent airborne exposure
Many workplace exposures occur because early warning signs are missed such as a leaking extraction hose, a dusty cutting process, or a poorly ventilated workshop.
AssessNET’s Hazard Reporting Module empowers every employee to play an active role in prevention. By giving workers an easy way to log and track potential hazards such as dust build-up, faulty ventilation or exposure concerns, organisations can act before those hazards cause harm.
Supervisors can:
- Receive instant notifications when a hazard is reported
- Assign corrective actions and track their completion
- Link hazards directly to related risk assessments or COSHH records
- Analyse data to spot recurring issues across sites or departments
This creates a closed-loop reporting system that turns near-misses and minor issues into opportunities for continuous improvement.
How COSHH and SDS Management help control airborne substances
For industries handling hazardous substances daily, AssessNET’s COSHH & SDS Module provides the foundation for safe, compliant chemical management.
Employers can:
- Create and manage substance-specific COSHH assessments
- Review and update control measures based on SDS data
- Identify safer alternatives to high-risk products
- Link assessments to relevant tasks, locations or equipment
When combined with Hazard Reporting, the result is a proactive safety ecosystem. A worker who reports an issue with airborne dust, for instance, could trigger a COSHH review that recommends improved ventilation or substitution of a less harmful material.
Because AssessNET’s system is modular, organisations can start with one area — such as hazard reporting — and expand to a full, integrated platform over time.
Other AssessNET modules to support safe systems of work
While the Hazard Reporting and COSHH & SDS Modules play a central role in protecting lung health, true prevention comes from a connected, organisation-wide approach to safety management. AssessNET’s modular design means you can build your system step-by-step — integrating tools that strengthen communication, compliance and control.
Permit to Work
Manage high-risk tasks more safely with digital permit workflows. The module ensures employees, contractors and temporary workers remain compliant with your internal processes, entering only authorised areas and completing tasks they are qualified to perform.
Risk Assessments
Create and maintain workplace activity risk assessments to identify, evaluate and manage hazards associated with different tasks. This module supports smarter decision-making and helps refine your overall risk management processes.
Method Statements
Develop tailored method statements that clearly outline the key steps in high-risk activities. Employees can easily understand potential hazards and how to protect themselves and others before work begins.
Training Management
Access real-time visibility of training and competence records across your workforce. Identify who is qualified for specific tasks, highlight skill gaps and ensure refresher training is completed on time.
By combining these modules, organisations can create a comprehensive digital safety ecosystem — ensuring every process, from planning to execution, supports the ultimate goal: protecting people from preventable harm.
Using safety data and analytics to improve lung health protection
AssessNET’s in-built Business Intelligence (BI) analytics takes lung health protection a step further by turning data into prevention insight. By analysing patterns across reported hazards, incidents and COSHH records, safety leaders can:
- Identify high-risk processes or substances
- Prioritise monitoring and air sampling
- Allocate resources to the most hazardous tasks
- Track the effectiveness of control measures over time
Building a workplace culture that protects lung health
Protecting workers’ lung health starts with awareness, but it thrives on action. HSE guidance stresses the importance of competent assessments, regular reviews and effective communication. Digital tools make these practices consistent, trackable and visible to everyone who needs to be involved.
From reporting a dust hazard to reviewing a COSHH assessment, AssessNET connects the dots ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about care, accountability and long-term wellbeing.
Protect workers’ lungs with AssessNET’s digital safety tools
Workplace lung disease is preventable, but only with the right information, systems and behaviours in place. With AssessNET’s Hazard Reporting and COSHH & SDS Modules, organisations can identify, control and communicate risks before exposure leads to lasting harm.
Book a demo of AssessNET today and see how digital tools can help you protect your workforce from occupational lung disease and build a safer, healthier future for everyone.
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Most Common Workplace Health and Safety Risks – And How Digital Tools Can Help Mitigate Them
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes occupational lung disease?
Occupational lung disease is caused by inhaling harmful substances such as dust, fumes, vapours or chemicals. Common sources include silica, welding fumes, and cleaning products.
How can digital tools help prevent lung disease?
Digital tools like AssessNET help identify hazards early, record control measures, track actions and ensure exposure is kept below safe limits through continuous monitoring.
What industries are most at risk of lung disease?
Construction, manufacturing, mining, woodworking, agriculture and engineering are among the sectors most exposed to airborne dust, gases and vapours.
How does the COSHH & SDS module support compliance?
AssessNET’s COSHH & SDS module manages substance risk assessments, stores SDS data and recommends control measures and PPE to ensure legal compliance.
Can the Hazard Reporting module work on its own?
Yes. It can be used independently or integrated with other modules like COSHH, Risk Assessment and BI Analytics for a connected, proactive safety system.
