Dr Amy Gyte

Time: 11:20AM – 11:50AM

Topic: Occupational respiratory health associated with cleaning in healthcare settings

Biography:

Dr. Amy Gyte is a scientist at the HSE, based at the Science and Research Centre in Buxton, Derbyshire.

As a Health Exposures specialist, Amy works to identify substances which may be affecting the health of workers and looks for practical solutions to reduce these exposures, particularly in the field of respiratory health. Amy has a PhD in molecular pharmacology and background in toxicology in an industrial setting, having worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 10 years.

Amy is currently working on a HSE project looking at the occupational respiratory health of professional cleaners. Research has shown an association between exposure to chemical cleaning products and respiratory symptoms, including occupational asthma. In our work we have been focusing on the use of environmental disinfectants in healthcare settings by cleaners and nurses. We have established a steering group of stakeholders from across the healthcare sector, with the aim to better understand how environmental disinfectants are used and the potential for respiratory exposure. We aim to identify best practice to minimise exposure and raise the profile of respiratory occupational health across healthcare cleaning.