Occupational skin disease

Abstract

It is opportune to discuss occupational skin disorders since recently a 'Save your Skin' Campaign has been undertaken in the United Kingdom by the Employment Advisory Service of the Health and Safety Executive to increase the awareness of employers and employees of the need to prevent skin problems in industry.' This was justified because skin disorders caused by substances at work are the most common occupational health problem. Contact dermatitis (eczematous dermatitis of predominantly exogenous aetiology) is the commonest form of occupational skin disease. However, other occupational skin disorders occur, often presenting to physicians of different disciplines, for example infectious conditions, occupational skin cancer, occupational vitiligo, vibration white finger. The purpose of this article is to outline the major occupational skin disorders and to give references to sources of information in greater depth. Since 1986 certain skin diseases linked to specified types of work must be reported in the United Kingdom.2 These include chrome ulceration of the nose or throat, or of the skin of the hands or forearms, in persons in work involving exposure to chromic acid or to any other chromium compound; folliculitis, acne, and skin cancer, in those whose work involves exposure to mineral oil, tar, pitch or arsenic; inflammation, ulceration or malignant disease of the skin is also reportable in those working with ionizing radiation. In addition to these listed skin diseases, anthrax is reportable whatever the person's occupation and vibration white finger is reportable in those exposed to a specified list of tools or processes in which vibration or percussive features occur. It is of interest that the most common dermatosis, contact dermatitis, is not a reportable disease under the present regulations. Diagnosis of occupational skin disease