‘silent and growing crisis’, warns BOHS

There is ‘a silent and growing crisis’ of women’s health in the workplace, the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) has warned, urging employers and occupational health to redouble their efforts to mitigate risk.

In a report analysing the extent to which women are getting ill because of work, and ways to tackle this, BOHS has argued women are suffering from worsening health at work compared with men.

For example, the report, Uncovering the UK’s Hidden Crisis in Women’s Workplace Health, cites the Health and Safety Executive’s 2022 Labour Force Survey, which has estimated 918,000 women suffer from worsened health because of exposures at work compared with 778,000 men.

Even this, however, is likely to be under-reported, as there is “an alarming gap” in monitoring, measuring, and reporting the true scale of the problem, the report has argued.

Women are carrying more of the burden of occupational disease than men and BOHS has emphasised that immediate action is needed to address this crisis before it becomes unmanageable.

BOHS president Alex Wilson said: “We are witnessing a silent and growing crisis that is significantly damaging women’s health in the workplace.

“As scientists committed to the prevention of workplace ill health, I am delighted that our society and occupational hygienists are showing leadership in this neglected area.

“However, the burden of occupational disease on women is an issue that demands urgent attention from all stakeholders in occupational health,.

It has called for employers to consider the impact of the workplace on women’s health as a measure of national equality policy, health and safety impact, and social sustainability.

BOHS has also called for better monitoring and reporting of women’s health and ill health, as the current lack of monitoring and reporting contributes to the insufficient understanding of the scale of the crisis.

“BOHS calls for everyone involved in occupational health protection to prioritise the impact of the workplace on women’s health. The society stresses the urgency of collaborative efforts in tackling this issue and ensuring a healthier and more equitable working environment for women,” it added.