Categories of exposure on the exposure axis of the job exposure matrix
| Low risk: | |
| Unlikely to be exposed to substances associated with risk of asthma or to other irritating chemicals | |
| Possible exposure to other substances (not typically associated with asthma): | |
| Low level exposure to chemicals which may or may not be sensitisers | |
| Exposure to irritants, but not high peaks (in construction, mining, etc) | |
| Exposure to exhaust fumes and environmental tobacco smoke | |
| High risk: | |
| Jobs with a moderate or high probability of exposure to agents associated with occupational asthma: | |
| High MW agents: | |
| Derived from animals: | |
| Rodents, livestock | |
| Fish, shellfish | |
| Arthropods or mites | |
| Derived from plants: | |
| Latex | |
| Flour | |
| Other, miscellaneous | |
| Bioaerosols (moulds, endotoxins, etc) | |
| Biological enzymes | |
| Low MW agents: | |
| Highly reactive chemicals (cross linking agents)—(anhydrides, amines, reactive dyes, glues, biocides, others, etc) | |
| Isocyanates | |
| Sensitising drugs | |
| Industrial cleaning agents | |
| Wood dusts, sensitising | |
| Metal sensitisers | |
| Mixed environments or agents: | |
| Jobs with high probability of exposure to components associated with metal working fluids | |
| Jobs in agriculture with high probability of exposure to organic particulate or fumes | |
| Textile industry production jobs | |
| Jobs with moderate to high probability of accidental or periodic exposure to very high levels of irritant gases or fumes (peak exposures) | |
| Individual re-evaluation required: | |
| Imprecise exposure estimation according to the job code: requires further verification by an expert after taking into account actual job title or industry sector |