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Unichef, the national union for chefs, has launched a campaign calling for emergency asthma kits (Salbutamol inhalers) to be a requirement in commercial kitchens following the death of 19-year-old Lauren Reid last year.
In February 2020, Reid, who was a nearly qualified chef, set out for her shift in her home city of Glasgow. During that day she suffered a severe Asthma attack and was without her inhaler.
According to the group, she suffered a cardiac arrest which led to “massive brain damage” and later that night passed away.
In 2014, an amendment was made to the Human Medicines Act allowing the emergency use of Salbutamol without a prescription on school premises in the UK.
Now, the union alongside Lauren’s mother are campaigning that a similar exemption should now apply to commercial food premises.
The pair have already launched a petition, which has reached 33,000 signatures.
Unichef, said: “We believe that the dangers of occupational asthma are very real and increasing and recognised “triggers” such as flour, fumes, heat, dust, odours, and lack of fresh air are common within the catering sector meaning that employees in this sector are of especially high risk of an asthma attack.”
