British workers are not being protected from occupational diseases and deaths, argues an expert in The BMJ this week.
There are around 500,000 new work-related illnesses every year, and over 13,000 deaths are caused by occupational exposures, mostly from cancers related to asbestos and respiratory diseases from dust and chemicals.
However, probably fewer than 15% of workers in Britain have access to adequate occupational health services, explains Anne Raynal, an occupational physician.