title: Work-related ill-health: Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain 2005-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data on work-related ill-health (WRIH) in the Republic of Ireland is inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of WRIH in the Republic of Ireland (ROI), Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB) reported by clinical specialists in skin and respiratory medicine and by specialist occupational physicians (OPs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of data reported to three surveillance schemes in The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) network in ROI and corresponding UK schemes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contact dermatitis was the most frequently reported skin disease in the three areas. Asthma was the most frequently-reported respiratory disease in the ROI, while asbestos-related cases predominate in GB and NI. Mental health disorders, followed by musculoskeletal disorders were reported most frequently by OPs. Annual average incidence rates for skin disease were 2 per 100000 employed (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-2.8) in the ROI and 7 per 100000 for GB (95% CI 4.8-9.4). Unadjusted incidence rates for respiratory disease were 1 (95% CI 0.3-1) and 8 (95% CI 6.1-10.7) per 100000 in the ROI and GB, respectively; adjusted for reporter non-response, these figures increased to 15 (95% CI 11.3-19.6) and 32 (95% CI 28.4-35.6) per 100000 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first paper to include THOR data on WRIH from the ROI, NI and GB. Consistent and dedicated data collection in the ROI via the THOR schemes is viable and important in the light of a deficit of occupational ill-health data. Sustained efforts to improve participation are underway.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK, annemarie.money@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Money
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carder
authors.affiliation: Health Service Executive, Dublin North East, Ireland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Noone
authors.affiliation: South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bourke
authors.affiliation: Cavan Monaghan Hospital, Lisdaran, Cavan, Ireland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agius
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Great Britain; Northern Ireland; Republic of Ireland; surveillance schemes; work-related ill-health.