Reference

BOHRF Original Authors' Main Conclusions

The original authors' main conclusions are taken from Abstract, Results and Discussion. They are decided upon by the authors of the BOHRF occupational asthma guidelines and form part of the guidelines.

Survey of 23 autobody shops aimed to determine the feasibility of clinical epidemiological studies. Among 102 workers, there was a high rate of airway symptoms consistent with occupational asthma (19.6%). Symptoms were most prevalent among those with the greatest opportunity for exposure (dedicated spray painters) and least among office workers. Atopy was not associated with risk while smoking seemed to correlate with symptoms. Occupational asthma symptoms were found 3 times more frequently among painting shop-floor workers and dedicated painters who did not use a positive pressure ventilator (23.4%) than among those who used it (8.3%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Regular use of air-supplied respirators appeared to be associated with lower risk among workers who painted part- or full-time. Due to limited compliance, only 2 demonstrated unequivocal evidence of labile airways; 2 others demonstrated lesser changes consistent with an occupational effect on flow rates. There was no clear association between these findings and either questionnaire responses or exposure classification. Overall, the survey suggests that there is a high prevalence of airway symptoms among workers in autobody shops, at least in part due to work-related asthma. However, there is need for both methodological and substantive research in this setting to document rates of occupational asthma and to develop a scientific basis for its effective control.

BOHRF Associated Evidence Statements

The BOHRF occupational asthma guidelines state that this reference is associated with the following evidence statements