A questionnaire survey of over 400 workers handling reactive dyes showed that over 15% had work related respiratory or nasal symptoms. Forty nine employees with symptoms were referred to chest clinics for detailed assessment attributed to reactive dyes. He had been advised by his trade union to consult his local Employment Medical Adviser. Two and a half years previously a colleague from the same dyehouse had been investigated for occupational asthma. Inhalation testing with a Levafix orange reactive dye provoked an asthmatic response; the dye was subsequently withdrawn from his place of work. This man's death at work with asthma gave urgency to this study.The first phase of the study was to identify, by means of a questionnaire administered by a physician, those dyehouse operatives with work related upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms. Symptomatic employees identified by the questionnaire were referred to one of two chest physicians who investigated the nature of their symptoms, their severity, relation with work, and the possible causative agents. The study included an estimate of the prevalence of specific IgE to dye-human serum albumin conjugates (dye-HSA) as a measure of immunological response in employees exposed to reactive dyes, and to relate this to symptoms, atopy, and smoking.In the present paper we report the clinical and immunological findings on the employees referred to 534 on 11 May 2018 by guest. Protected by copyright.

A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 772 workers in 27 mills in the North of England involved in the processing of cotton waste. The overall prevalence of byssinosis as defined by Schilling's criteria was 9.8 per cent with 5.4 per cent having grades 2 and 3. The prevalence in workers who had only ever had cotton waste exposure (5 per cent) was significantly less than for those who had mixed waste and raw cotton exposure. There was no clear relationship between prevalence of byssinosis and years of exposure or dust levels.