Complications

Industrial skin disorders have a considerable adverse impact on the quality of life. ⁴ They may also necessitate a change of occupation.

Prognosis

Usually the condition will go with avoidance of the allergen but this may require giving up the job. A notable exception is cement dermatitis that is due to the chromium content. Even ceasing all contact with cement may not be enough and a nasty and severe dermatitis may persist.

Prevention

Employers have a duty to make the workplace as safe as possible. They may work in conjunction with trade union representatives to do so. They may seek help from the HSE or COSHH (Committee on Substances Hazardous to Health). The following checklist, abbreviated from the HSE, may be useful: ⁵

· Know what products or substances are being used or generated.

· Find the health and safety hazards associated with each substance or product. There may be product labels or Safety Data Sheets.

· Frequent contact with water (wet working) is a major cause of work related disease (WRD). Some substances such as formaldehyde in metal working fluids, may be generated during work and can cause WRD.

· Who is exposed to these substances, how does their skin come into contact, for how long and the frequency?

· What control measures are in place?

· Is it possible to dispense with that chemical or to replace it with a safer one?

· Introduce safer ways of working to reduce contact.

· If the exposure is due to dust or vapour in the air, install a ventilated enclosure or provide local exhaust ventilation.

· Protective clothing may be worn. Selection of suitable gloves can be a complicated process and may require advice.

· Make sure employees have been educated about risk and avoidance.

· Provide mild skin cleaning cream and washing facilities with hot and cold water.

· Tell employees to clean their hands before consuming drinks and food or before wearing gloves.

· A management system must ensure than all controls are carried out.

Document references

1. Dermatitis and other skin disorders; Statistics, Health & Safety Executive.

2. Lushniak BD; Occupational contact dermatitis. Dermatol Ther. 2004;17(3):272-7. [abstract]

3. Gawkrodger DJ; Occupational skin cancers. Occup Med (Lond). 2004 Oct;54(7):458-63. [abstract]

4. Hutchings CV, Shum KW, Gawkrodger DJ; Occupational contact dermatitis has an appreciable impact on quality of life. Contact Dermatitis. 2001 Jul;45(1):17-20. [abstract]

5. Health & Safety Executive; Skin at work. Action plan.

6. Blanc PD, Eisner MD, Israel L, Yelin EH. The association between occupation and asthma in general medicine practice. Chest 1999;115:1259-64.

7. Bernstein IL, Bernstein DI, Chan-Yeung M, Malo JL. Definition and classification of asthma. In: Asthma in the workplace, Second Edition. Bernstein IL, Chan-Yeung M, Malo JL, Bernstein DI, eds. New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc. 1999, pp. 1-4

8. Brooks SM, Weiss MA, Bernstein IL. Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS). Persistent asthma syndrome after high level exposures. Chest 1985; 88:376-84.

9. Slavin, RG. Occupational rhinitis. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 1992; 12:769.

10. Puchner, TC, Fink, JN. Occupational Rhinitis. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2000; 20:303.

TITLE: OCCUPATIONAL ALLERGIES

NAME: DUNCAN MACHARIA WAMBURI

GROUP: 615

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30