§ Mr. StunellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to require primary care trusts to establish a policy to reduce allergic reactions to latex in(a) staff and (b) patients. [165568]
§ Mr. HuttonActions to be taken in relation to natural rubber latex (NRL) are covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act, Etc. 1974 which places a general duty on all National Health Service employers to keep staff and patients healthy and safe at work. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 places duties on employers to systematically assess all workplace risks and to take all reasonably practicable action to minimise those risks—this includes exposure to NRL. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), also apply in requiring employers to undertake an assessment of any substances used at work that are hazardous to health. All of this legislation applies to primary care trusts.
The Department of Health, working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other interested parties, has developed a latex toolkit covering the issues surrounding latex allergy such as what employers and employees should be doing in the workplace, areas affected and general information.
§ Mr. StunellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS staff adversely affected by an allergic reaction to latex; and(a) how many days work have been lost and (b) how many staff have left the service as a result of latex allergy in each of the last five years. [165571]
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§ Mr. HuttonThe Department of Health does not collect this information centrally, as it would duplicate data collection undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive in relation to the control of substances hazardous to health.