If employees in your organisation are exposed to dusts, fumes, vapours, gases, fibres or respiratory sensitisers, respiratory health surveillance can help you identify early signs of work-related ill health and review whether workplace controls are working as intended.
Clarity provides practical, risk-based respiratory surveillance programmes for employers across the UK. Whether you are responding to a COSHH assessment, reviewing an existing programme or starting from scratch, we can help you understand which employees may need monitoring and how to put the right support in place.
Respiratory health surveillance may be appropriate where a COSHH assessment identifies that employees are exposed to substances or processes associated with work-related respiratory disease, and there is a reasonable likelihood that an adverse health effect could occur despite suitable control measures.
Examples may include exposure to:
Wood dust and flour dust.
Welding fumes, silica dust and metalworking fluids.
Isocyanates, resins, adhesives and spray-paint products.
Industrial cleaning agents, chemical vapours and other respiratory sensitisers.
Biological agents, laboratory-animal allergens and certain agricultural exposures.
Fibres and other airborne materials where a risk assessment identifies respiratory risk.
Health surveillance is needed where there is a disease associated with the substance, it is possible to detect early adverse changes and reduce the risk of further harm, and workplace conditions make the disease reasonably likely to occur. The exact programme should be based on the substance, process, level of exposure and the effectiveness of controls.
Respiratory surveillance does not replace the need to eliminate or control exposure at source. It provides useful feedback on whether existing arrangements are protecting employees as intended.
Every organisation has different substances, processes, workforce roles and exposure profiles. We take the time to understand how your workplace operates, then help you create a respiratory surveillance programme that is proportionate, practical and manageable.
Clarity delivers respiratory surveillance when your risk assessments or COSHH reviews identify work with respiratory sensitisers or other relevant hazards, using consistent questionnaires and testing protocols based on established guidance.
We use on‑site clinics, mobile medical units and, where appropriate, clinic network access to minimise downtime, travel and disruption while maintaining coverage for exposed workers. Assessments are scheduled to fit around shifts and operations, not the other way round.
Our reporting is clear, structured and designed to support follow‑up action. You receive outcomes that highlight any concerns, recommendations for adjustments or further investigation, and evidence to support internal governance and regulatory scrutiny.
Respiratory surveillance can be integrated with other services such as health surveillance for noise or vibration, safety‑critical medicals and management referrals, creating a more coherent, cost‑effective occupational health programme.
The right programme depends on your workplace risks and the roles employees carry out. It may include one or more of the following:
Baseline assessment – A baseline assessment is normally completed before exposure begins, or as soon as possible after an employee starts a role with relevant respiratory risk. It may include a respiratory-health questionnaire, work and exposure history, and spirometry where appropriate.
This gives a useful reference point for future comparison and helps identify any symptoms or concerns that may need further consideration.
Periodic monitoring –Regular follow-up may include updated questionnaires, discussion of symptoms, review of exposure and repeat lung-function testing where appropriate. Results can be compared with earlier assessments to identify changes over time.
Frequency should reflect the level and type of risk, the relevant COSHH assessment and clinical advice. Annual review is common for higher-risk exposure, while different intervals may be appropriate in other circumstances.
Spirometry and lung-function testing – Spirometry is a lung-function test that measures the amount and speed of air an individual can breathe out. It can contribute to the assessment of respiratory health and provide comparable information over time when it is clinically appropriate.
Spirometry is not a standalone diagnostic test for occupational asthma, COPD or other respiratory conditions. If symptoms, results or exposure history raise concern, an occupational health clinician can consider the appropriate next steps, which may include further assessment, temporary workplace recommendations or referral to a GP or specialist service.
Clinical review and escalation – Where concerns are identified, cases can be escalated for review by an occupational health clinician. Recommendations may include further clinical assessment, referral, workplace adjustments, review of respiratory protective equipment or changes to exposure-control arrangements.
Employees’ clinical information remains confidential. Employers receive the outcome information and practical workplace recommendations needed to manage action appropriately.
Respiratory health surveillance typically combines:
Respiratory questionnaires – to capture symptoms, work history and relevant medical background.
Spirometry (lung function testing) – measuring how much air the worker can inhale and exhale and how quickly, using a spirometer.
Clinical review – including a review of exposure and, where appropriate, a physical examination of the chest and lungs.
Spirometry is a key element for higher‑risk roles, as it provides an objective measure of lung function and can help identify early signs of work‑related respiratory problems before symptoms become obvious.
Our clinicians explain the process clearly, coach workers through each test and ensure results are interpreted in the context of their role, exposure and overall health.
Following respiratory surveillance, Clarity provides:
Clear employee outcomes and appropriate recommendations.
Identification of symptoms or lung-function changes that may need closer review.
Recommendations to review exposure controls, respiratory protective equipment, training or work practices where relevant.
Further clinical assessment, investigation or referral where appropriate.
Management reporting and trend information to support ongoing review of respiratory-health risk.
Early identification of concerns can help employers act promptly, review control measures and support employees before symptoms become more serious.
Health information is handled under clinical-governance and data-protection arrangements. Managers receive the information needed for workplace action, rather than employees’ full medical records.
Respiratory surveillance can feel complex, particularly where different substances, job roles and sites create different levels of risk. Our role is to make the process easier to understand and more manageable to deliver.
We listen first — We take time to understand your workplace, substances, exposure risks and operational priorities.
We provide clear guidance — We help you interpret the practical information needed to put an appropriate programme in place.
We tailor delivery — We use on-site, mobile and clinic-based options to make assessment attendance manageable across your workforce.
We communicate clearly — We keep planning, outcomes and reporting straightforward, so you know what may need action.
We work alongside your team — We collaborate with HR, health and safety, occupational hygiene and line-management teams to support a joined-up approach.
Whether you are introducing respiratory surveillance for the first time, reviewing an existing provider or responding to a new COSHH assessment, Clarity can help.
We will take the time to understand your workplace risks, employee roles, sites and practical requirements, then help you develop a programme that supports your workforce and works around the way your organisation operates.
Respiratory health surveillance is a programme of health checks for employees exposed to substances or work processes that may affect their lungs or airways. It is designed to identify early signs of work-related respiratory ill health, support timely action and help employers review whether exposure controls are working.
It may be needed where employees are exposed to a substance associated with a recognised respiratory disease or adverse health effect, it is possible to identify early signs and reduce the risk of further harm, and workplace conditions make the effect reasonably likely to occur. The decision should be based on the COSHH assessment, the substance or process, exposure level and control measures.
Employees may need respiratory surveillance where they work with respiratory sensitisers, irritants, dusts, fumes, vapours, gases, fibres or other airborne substances that may affect lung health. This may include roles involving wood dust, flour dust, welding fumes, silica, isocyanates, resins, metalworking fluids, cleaning chemicals, laboratory animals and agricultural materials.
The programme may include a baseline questionnaire, respiratory and exposure history, symptom reviews and spirometry where appropriate. Employees with symptoms, concerning results or relevant exposure history may be referred for further clinical assessment or advised on workplace adjustments.
Spirometry is a lung-function test that measures the amount and speed of air an individual can breathe out. It can provide useful information about lung function and help monitor change over time as part of an appropriate occupational health programme. It is not a standalone diagnostic test for occupational asthma, COPD or other respiratory conditions.
Frequency depends on the type and level of exposure, the COSHH assessment, the employee’s role and clinical advice. A baseline assessment is normally completed before or soon after exposure begins, with regular review afterwards. Annual testing is common for higher-risk exposure, though other schedules may be appropriate.
Clarity provides respiratory surveillance nationwide through on-site clinics, mobile medical units and local clinic appointments. We will help you choose an approach that works around your sites, workforce size, shifts and operational requirements.
Yes. Respiratory surveillance information is handled under clinical-governance and data-protection arrangements. Employees’ medical information remains confidential, while managers receive appropriate outcome and workplace-action information rather than full medical records.
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