Lung disorders caused by repeated exposure to hazardous agents in the workplace that are inhaled into the lungs. These diseases include asbestosis, coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, silicosis, byssinosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and occupational asthma.
Illness of the lungs caused by exposure to hazardous agents that exist in the workplace. Occupational lung diseases are usually caused by contact with irritants on a job site that are inhaled into the lungs repeatedly over time. This form of disease can also occur after a single exposure to an agent that is severely damaging to the lungs. The location, type of work performed, and environmental conditions surrounding a certain occupation are factors that can create greater risk for workers acquiring these diseases. Some examples of these occupations are coal mining, working in a car garage, and working in a manufacturing setting, where proximity to dangerous chemicals and fibers can cause lung disease. Exposure to dust in the workplace can cause susceptibility to dust diseases.