1. Occupa&onal health and hygiene research: A talk at the Sco8sh Parliament
John Cherrie
Ins,tute of Occupa,onal Medicine and Heriot-Wa: University
I’ve spent most of my career working on occupa,onal health related research in Scotland,
although perhaps ironically most of my efforts have been directed at na,onal and
interna,onal problems. I was the Research Director at the Ins,tute of Occupa,onal Medicine
and Professor of Human Health at Heriot-Wa: University. I have had a long associa,on with
BOHS, contribu,ng to their scien,fic mee,ngs and publishing in their academic journal, and I
was President of the Society in 2007.
There has been a strong occupa,onal health and hygiene research base that has existed here
for several decades, both in universi,es such as Aberdeen and Glasgow and in the Ins,tute of
Occupa,onal Medicine – the IOM. Occupa,onal hygiene has a clear focus on understanding
the exposures experienced by workers and the ways to mi,gate risks. Occupa,onal health has
as its concern the health of the worker. Both come together in epidemiological research where
we want to understand the rela,onships between exposures and disease. The IOM is an
interna,onally respected not-for-profit organisa,on originally set up by the Na,onal Coal
Board to inves,gate the causes of coal workers pneumoconiosis, and the rela,onship between
dust exposure and the disease [1]. The staff at the IOM were delighted when in 2019 there
was a debate in the chamber here to recognise our 50th
anniversary, and I am delighted to be
back here celebra,ng the 70th
anniversary of BOHS.
Research findings are an important underpinning for evidence-based policy. Occupa,onal
hygienists help characterise exposure and provide advice about interven,ons to effec,vely
reduce risks to health in the workplace. Research can provide the evidence on the
effec,veness of control measures. We need to know what things are hazardous in workplaces.
Research can tell us this. We need understand the rela,onship between the extent of
exposure to hazards and disease and at what level the risks might be acceptable. Research can
provide this evidence. Of course, research studies need data, and for much of the work we
need to do we need industry and public bodies coopera,on.

2. The IOMs work on coal workers pneumoconiosis involved 30,000 miners in 25 collieries
throughout Britain, who were prospec,vely followed-up regularly for more than 10 years. The
research Involved detailed measurements of exposure to dust and was unique in that respect.
The results demonstrated a clear associa,on between the dust exposure and disease and
provided evidence for standards of dust control in mines, not just in this country but around
the world [2].
New technologies, even in the ‘clean’ or green industries, are not immune to health risks for
workers. We have carried out an inves,ga,on of a cancer cluster in a semiconductor
manufacturing site in the west of Scotland [3]. Here there was concern amongst the workforce
that there was higher than might be expected cancer incidence, par,cularly amongst the
female workers. We catalogued the key exposures of workers in rela,on to the disease.
Although our findings were uncertain because of the limited size of the study, there were no
excesses of mortality or cancer incidence sugges,ve of a workplace effect, either overall or
for specific cancer sites such as breast cancer. The results were used by the Health and Safety
Execu,ve to help reassure the workforce.
During the pandemic we inves,gated exposure to the SARS-Cov-2 virus in Scoash hospitals.
It is par,cularly difficult to detect the virus and despite using the most sensi,ve tests available,
most studies that were carried out around the world found it problema,c to detect virus in
the air or on surfaces [4]. This was the same in Scotland; levels were no higher here than
elsewhere. Despite these findings it was clear that the main route of infec,on was inhala,on
of viable virus by workers and others. The research also showed a need to review and act upon
the challenges of older hospital buildings in mee,ng current ven,la,on guidance [5]. This is
something that is completely within the power of the Scoash Parliament to influence.
Our scien,sts regularly provide advice and assistance to governments, trade unions and
industry. I and another member of IOM staff are currently members of the Industrial Injuries
Advisory Council (IIAC). IOM also provides advice to IIAC through an ad hoc support contract.
The Council advises the Department of Work and Pensions about industrial injuries benefit in
England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland. In making recommenda,ons about
the prescrip,on of specific diseases it is important to understand from relevant research what

3. exposures can give rise to significant risks to health. Scotland is developing its own employee
injury assistance scheme, which will ul,mately replace industrial injuries disability benefit
here.
In a just society we need to be able to compensate those who have been harmed at work
through no fault of their own. The evidence of occupa,onal epidemiology and occupa,onal
hygiene research underpins a fair compensa,on system. I’m delighted to see that there are
moves to introduce a Scoash Employment Injuries Advisory Council, that will advise on the
opera,on of the Scoash employment-injury assistance scheme. There are important
challenges in developing a modern approach in this area. While workers are s,ll succumbing
to diseases caused by coal dust, asbestos and other tradi,onal hazards there are new hazards
that blight workers lives. We need to refocus our research efforts on these problems. For
example, on issues of irregular work shiis and the impacts on health, on women liiing heavy
loads and the effects on reproduc,ve health, and the impact of cleaning chemicals on
respiratory health.
Unfortunately, In Britain there has been a decline in the funding for occupa,onal health and
hygiene research and advanced training in this area. The lack of funding has resulted in a loss
of capacity and a refocussing of research efforts away from workplace health into the wider
public and environmental health arena. In Scotland there is now just a small group at the
University of Glasgow, other small pockets of exper,se in Scoash universi,es and the IOM in
Edinburgh with about 20 researchers working part-,me on occupa,onal health and hygiene
issues. There is a limited and decreasing pool of experts who can implement a research agenda
in Scotland, and support Scotland in developing modern occupa,onal health policies.
If we are to contribute to knowledge then government, universi,es, industry and the NHS in
Scotland will need to support and promote relevant research.
Thursday, 14 September 2023

4. References
1. Seaton A, Cherrie JW, Cowie H, Aitken RJ. Science With Purpose: 50 Years of the Ins,tute of
Occupa,onal Medicine Front Public Health 2022;10:924678.
2. Anield MD, Kuempel ED. Pneumoconiosis, coalmine dust and the PFR The Annals of
Occupa8onal Hygiene 2003;47:525-529.
3. Darnton A, Miller BG, MacCalman L, et al. An updated inves,ga,on of cancer incidence and
mortality at a Scoash semiconductor manufacturing facility with case-control and
case-only studies of selected cancers. Occupa8onal and Environmental Medicine
2012;69:767-769.
4. Cherrie J, Cherrie M, Davis A, et al. Contamina,on of air and surfaces in workplaces with
SARS-CoV-2 virus: a systema,c review Annals of Work Exposures and Health 2021.
5. Loh M, Yaxley N, Moore G, et al. Measurement of SARS-CoV-2 in air and on surfaces in
Scoash hospitals J Hosp Infect 2022.