Shield - Surveillance Scheme for Occupational Asthma

Shield is the Midland Thoracic Society's Surveillance Scheme of Occupational Asthma. The scheme, which was set up in January 1989, was established to meet three main objectives. 1) To study the general and specific incidence of occupational asthma within a defined geographic area, 2) To determine proposed mechanisms of asthma, and 3) to determine the employment state of workers at diagnosis. Chest physicians, the Medical Boarding Centre (respiratory disease), and members of the West Midlands Group of the Society of Occupational Medicine implemented the scheme, by reporting each new case using a questionnaire format. The questionnaire covers personal information on the patient, details of the diagnosis, information about their occupational history, and the outcome after diagnosis.

Shield logo

Shield Notification

The notification system for Shield involves sending a monthly letter to participating members. Any members who have encountered a patient with occupational asthma then fill in a Shield form and post it back. The information on the form is then entered into our database and used to create the yearly reports and to generally further the aims of the Shield project.

This process will soon be mostly electronic and be administered through this website. Monthly emails will be sent to all notifiers who can then download Shield forms and return them through the post. To make this even more convenient we are currently looking for funding for a version of the Shield form that can be filled in online.

View the Shield form. This is in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. It should be printed, filled in and posted back to us. Consent should be gained for every patient submitted to Shield. The consent form (PDF) should be printed out and signed. The form contains information to help the patient decide whether they wish to give consent for Shield and refers them to this website for further information.

Shield Reports

Occupational asthma: Occupational asthma to predatory mites used for pest control Occupational asthma to predatory mites used for pest control
Shield 2009, 39 New cases in this Shield report, most common causative agent was Cleaning agents (18%)
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2008; A surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the Midlands Shield 2008, 36 New cases in this Shield report, most common causative agent was Isocyanates (28%)
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2007; A surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the Midlands Shield 2007; 33 new cases in this Shield Report, the most common causative agent was isocyanates (36%)
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2006; A surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the Midlands Shield 2006; 57 new cases in this Shield report, the most common causative agents were Metal Working Fluid (16%) and Isocyanates (16%).
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2005; A surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the Midlands Shield 2005; 78 new cases in this Shield report, most common causative agent was Metal Working Fluid (37%).
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2004; A Surveillance Scheme of Occupational Asthma in the Midlands Shield 2004; 110 new cases in this Shield report, most common causative agent was Metal Working Fluid (44%).
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2003; A Surveillance Scheme of Occupational Asthma in the Midlands Shield 2003; 74 new cases in this Shield report, the most common causative agent was Isocyanates (28%).
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2002; A Surveillance Scheme of Occupational Asthma in the Midlands Shield 2002; 77 new cases in this Shield report, the most common causative agent was Isocyanates (25%).
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2001; A Surveillance Scheme of Occupational Asthma in the Midlands Shield 2001; 72 new cases in this Shield report, the most common causative agent was Isocyanates (33%).
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 2000; A Surveillance Scheme of Occupational Asthma in the Midlands Shield 2000; 80 new cases in this Shield report, the most common causative agent was Isocyanates (19%).
Occupational asthma: Shield Report 1999; A Surveillance Scheme of Occupational Asthma in the Midlands Shield 1999; 67 new cases in this Shield report, the most common causative agent was Isocyanates (13%)

Full Text Available for Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data
from the Shield surveillance scheme Bakerly ND, Moore VC, Vellore AD, Jaakkola MS, Robertson AS, Burge PS , Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data from the Shield surveillance scheme , Occup Med (London) , 2008 ; 58 : 169-174
Sherwood Burge, Oasys, an author of 'Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data
from the Shield surveillance scheme' Vicky Moore, Oasys, an author of 'Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data
from the Shield surveillance scheme' Alastair Robertson, Selly Oak Hospital, an author of 'Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data
from the Shield surveillance scheme' Arun Dev Vellore, Oasys, an author of 'Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data
from the Shield surveillance scheme' Maritta Jaakkola, Oulu University Finland, an author of 'Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data
from the Shield surveillance scheme' Nawar Bakerly, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, an author of 'Fifteen-year trends in occupational asthma: data
from the Shield surveillance scheme'

Full Text Available for 15 Years of SHIELD: a reporting scheme for occupational asthma Moore V, Robertson A, Jaakkola M, Pantin C, Burge PS , 15 Years of SHIELD: a reporting scheme for occupational asthma , Eur Respir J Suppl , 2006 ; 28 : 245s
Sherwood Burge, Oasys, an author of '15 Years of SHIELD: a reporting scheme for occupational asthma' Charles Pantin, Keele, UK, an author of '15 Years of SHIELD: a reporting scheme for occupational asthma' Vicky Moore, Oasys, an author of '15 Years of SHIELD: a reporting scheme for occupational asthma' Alastair Robertson, Selly Oak Hospital, an author of '15 Years of SHIELD: a reporting scheme for occupational asthma' Maritta Jaakkola, Oulu University Finland, an author of '15 Years of SHIELD: a reporting scheme for occupational asthma'

Abstract Available for Occupational asthma in a highly industrialized region of UK: report from a local surveillance scheme Di Stefano F, Siriruttanapruk S, McCoach J, Di Gioacchino M, Burge PS , Occupational asthma in a highly industrialized region of UK: report from a local surveillance scheme , Allerg Immunol (Paris) , 2004 ; 36 : 56-62
Sherwood Burge, Oasys, an author of 'Occupational asthma in a highly industrialized region of UK: report from a local surveillance scheme' Jennifer McCoach, Oasys, an author of 'Occupational asthma in a highly industrialized region of UK: report from a local surveillance scheme' Somkiat Siriruttanapruk, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, an author of 'Occupational asthma in a highly industrialized region of UK: report from a local surveillance scheme' Fabio Di Stefano, Ospedale G.Bernabeo, Ortona, an author of 'Occupational asthma in a highly industrialized region of UK: report from a local surveillance scheme'

Abstract Available for Occupational asthma: measures of frequency from four countries Meredith SK, Nordman H , Occupational asthma: measures of frequency from four countries , Thorax , 1996 ; 51 : 435-440
Henrik Nordman, Finnsh Institute of Occupational Health, an author of 'Occupational asthma: measures of frequency from four countries'

Abstract Available for The SHIELD scheme in the West Midlands Region, United Kingdom Gannon PFG, Burge PS , The SHIELD scheme in the West Midlands Region, United Kingdom , Br J Ind Med , 1993 ; 50 : 791-796
Sherwood Burge, Oasys, an author of 'The SHIELD scheme in the West Midlands Region, United Kingdom ' Paul Gannon, Dupont, an author of 'The SHIELD scheme in the West Midlands Region, United Kingdom '

Abstract Available for A preliminary report of a surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the West Midlands Gannon PFG, Burge PS , A preliminary report of a surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the West Midlands , Br J Ind Med , 1991 ; 48 : 579-582
Sherwood Burge, Oasys, an author of 'A preliminary report of a surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the West Midlands' Paul Gannon, Dupont, an author of 'A preliminary report of a surveillance scheme of occupational asthma in the West Midlands'

View all references / papers from occupational asthma surveillance schemes

Scottish SHIELD (Surveillance of occupational asthma, bronchitis and rhinitis)
This is a Surveillance Scheme to establish the incidence of occupational asthma, bronchitis and rhinitis in Scotland. A pilot study is being undertaken in the first instance in the North East of Scotland (Aberdeen and Inverness) with the intention of rolling the scheme out Scotland wide.

SWORD (Surveillance of Work-Related and Occupational Respiratory Disease)
The SWORD scheme aims to determine the scale and patterns of work-related respiratory disease in the UK and to identify the agents thought to be responsible along with information on industry and occupation. It does this by storing and analysing reports of occupational respiratory disease from a large number of respiratory physicians. This is a pilot site.

SENSOR (Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk)
Surveillance for Occupational Asthma, Michigan and New Jersey, 1988-1992.

SENSOR (Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk)
Surveillance of Work-Related Asthma in Selected U.S. States (California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey) Using Surveillance Guidelines for State Health Departments, 1993-1995.