Independent report

A review of the evidence for malignant and non-malignant respiratory disease prescriptions commissioned by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC)

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) commissioned the Institute of Occupational Medicine to carry out a review of the published literature on selected work-related malignant and non-malignant respiratory diseases.

Documents

Silica and COPD report: Data extraction spreadsheet

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Silica and COPD report: List of all the references considered

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Silica and Lung Cancer report: Data extraction spreadsheet

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Silica and Lung Cancer report: List of all the references considered

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Silica and Lung Cancer report: Table 2.1. Cohort studies of silica and lung cancer

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Silica and Lung Cancer report: Table 2.2 Case-control studies of crystalline silica and lung cancer

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Cleaning products and COPD report: Data extraction spreadsheet

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Cleaning products and COPD report: List of all the references considered

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Agriculture and COPD report: Data extraction spreadsheet

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Agriculture and COPD report: List of all the references considered

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Chromium VI and COPD report: Data extraction spreadsheet

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Chromium VI and COPD report: List of all the references considered

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Chromium VI and Lung Cancer report: Table 2.1. Cohort studies of chromium IV and lung and respiratory cancer

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Asbestos and COPD report: Data extraction spreadsheet

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Asbestos and COPD report: List of all the references considered

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Asbestos and Lung Cancer report: Table 2.1. Case-control studies of asbestos exposure and lung cancer

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Asbestos and Lung Cancer report: Table 2.2. Cohort studies of asbestos exposed populations and lung cancer and mesothelioma

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Asbestos and Lung Cancer report: Table 2.3. Summary of asbestos cohort study design characteristics

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) is aware that the current list of prescribed diseases does not always reflect modern work practices given the increasing complexity of some working environments such as in the construction industry, and the introduction of new materials and practices as with the handling of artificial/composite stone that contains a high percentage of silica.   Many of these changes have potential impacts on lung diseases such as cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

Currently, cancer of the lung is prescribed in relation to exposure to several exposures or occupations including arsenic, nickel, asbestos, tin mining, coke oven work and silica with accompanying silicosis.  COPD is currently only prescribed in relation to coal mining.  

Against this background of changing work practices and exposures, IIAC commissioned the Institute of Occupational Medicine to carry out a comprehensive review and evaluation of the literature on selected work-related malignant and non-malignant respiratory diseases (lung cancer and COPD; other respiratory diseases such as asthma and various types of pneumoconiosis were excluded).   The aim was to inform any future update or expansion of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) scheme.  

The review was planned in two substantive phases.  The purpose of the first phase was to use existing published reviews (and, if relevant, large epidemiological studies) to identify key industries, occupations and exposures associated with lung cancer and COPD.  The second phase was to update recent reviews of epidemiological literature or, where necessary, carry out a new review of the epidemiological literature on priority exposures, occupations and/or industries as agreed with the Council. 

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has critically reviewed a substantial literature on six important respiratory disease/exposure combinations and the findings provide IIAC with a strong basis for taking the issues forward.  IIAC notes the comments by IOM concerning the limitations of the evidence-base in relation to several of the topics.  Some additional information might be available from general population studies and studies of lung function abnormalities that were outside the scope of this review.  Changes in occupational exposures with time might limit the application of some of the findings in relation to current and future generations of IIDB claimants.  IIAC notes the suggestions relating to the revision of the wording of several of the prescriptions and the absence of any recommendation by IOM about currently extending prescriptions (for lung cancer and COPD).  Finally, IIAC notes the recommendations regarding future work and will consider these individually and prioritise them in relation to its other work.

Updates to this page

Published 3 June 2025

Sign up for emails or print this page