Have asthma and COPD

[Gaz22]

Hi I have asthma and COPD they have just changed my mask at work to a half mask with two canisters having trouble breathing anyone ever used one of these masks some of my jobs require to be used three or four hours at a time all day , I also have heart disease and had two stent's fitted seven years ago , Thanks for help

[teddyd]

I wish I could help but I dont really understand your post. Hopefully someone else will come along soon that can help.The only thing I feel I can add is that as its works related and you have varies health issues you should contact HR department or get advice from a union rep.

[Gaz22 in reply to teddyd]

Thank you for your reply, Been having headaches since and nightmares and can't think straight.About wearing this new mask I did complain but they said we have to wear half mask with two canisters from now on, Have have been wearing a ffp 3 mask for 20 years no problems, The new mask I had to do a face fitting test never been aloud to do one before because I have asthma/COPD, I will be going to the doctor's with all the info I have , I only have 2 years 3 month before I retire can't come quick enough, the firm I work for does not recognise unions

[Poobah in reply to Gaz22]

Have you asked for an occupational health review via HR? These are carried out by a qualified practitioner and they take into account your disability (asthma etc) and your workplace and duties, then they will assess what you need to ensure you're safe and well at work by making recommendations for reasonable adjustments. Under UK law, employers are legally obliged to accommodate adjustments that are reasonable. HR will advise you if the employer has it's own occupational health services, even if these are provided by a specialist company.

Sometimes employers will have their own occupational health services but if they don't then there's a free service provided by the government called Access to Work that you can use. gov.uk/access-to-work

if you're in a union then you can get support through the process or if you're not in a union but there's a union H&S rep in your workplace, then they can advise you, even if you're not a union member. The H&S rep is unique in this regard.

Once you have your reasonable adjustments in place, then any changes the employer wants to make in the future should first go through the occupational health practitioner who will advise adjustments specific to you. And if your health changes at any time in the future, then again you may require updated reasonable adjustments.

[Gaz22 in reply to Poobah]

Are not in a union can join one but work don't recognise them, We have a h@s person on production but he says everyone has to wear the new masks on production! We just had a new h&s manager start he has not said anything about these masks yet but nobody likes wearing them, I am going to the doctor's today to see if I can get a appointment been having headaches and can't think straight since having a face fitting test on Monday and wearing this new mask, thanks for your help

[Troilus]

Hi Gaz. I’m not really up to date on this anymore but you should be protected by disability legislation. This, amongst other things means that your employer has to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace; in your case this would be the mask. However, I also suspect that the masks have been upgraded to comply with some new health and safety regs.

There was another part which applied to me, but not sure if it applies to all employers which stated that if you were unable to fulfil your current role because of health reasons then the employer must endeavour to find you an alternative role within the organisation.

This is the kind of thing that an occupational health assessment throws up i.e. they make recommendations to the employer to ensure that they are operating within the law.

So basically the law is on your side. Shame there isn’t a union rep to fight this for you. Try citizens advice maybe?

[Gaz22]

Hi thanks for your help. On Monday work made me have a face fitting test, which I did not like I wore the mask and they put a hood over my head at spayed some stuff in had to more my head in different directions and then I had to take mask off and smell the spray which was not nice, And on Wednesday I had to wear the new mask all day which I felt I was not getting enough air into my lungs, Since the face fit test I have had a headache and on Thursday I started going light headed can't think straight and tingling down right arm and hand not all the now and again episodes same thing Friday morning so phoned the doctors and they gave me a emergency appointment and doctor which I gave all the documents they gave my from work said I should not have even had a face fitting test due to having asthma, COPD and collary heat disease had two sents fitted. So doctor says I can't use the mask and they should let me wear the mask I have been wearing for last 20 years, Thanks again for your help