Comparative results tables Table . Summary of worker employment and demographic characteristics associated with exposure to wet work or chemicals and/or diagnosis of occupational skin disease Characteristics associated with exposure and Dermal chemical Occupational skin disease Wet work exposure exposure disease Overall exposure - 9.8% of workers - 37% of workers Work was a surveyed washed their surveyed reported that substantially hands more than 20 they had skin contact contributing factor to times per day with at least one OSD in 60% of patients chemical while at work and a partially - 7.3% of workers in the week preceding contributing factor in surveyed had their the survey 15% of patients hands immersed in attending the clinic liquids for more than one hour per day - 4.5% of workers surveyed had their hands immersed in liquids for more than two hours per day - Hand washing exposures were largely distinct from hand immersion exposures Concurrent Workers who reported Self-reported exposure Multiple contributing exposures dermal exposure to to multiple chemical factors to OSD are very chemicals were much groups was common common multiple – more likely to report diagnoses in 58% of exposure to wet work patients than workers who did not report exposure to chemicals Main substances The most commonly The most commonly - Irritant contact reported reported liquids were: reported groups of dermatitis in females chemicals were: was more likely to be - Water caused by soaps / - Detergents - Detergents, cleaning detergents or wet work products, disinfectants - Organic solvents - Irritant contact - Solvents - Disinfectants dermatitis in males was - Fuels and oils - Bases & alkalis more likely to be caused - Concrete - Paints, varnishes and by oils / coolants and inks solvent exposures - Cement & lime - Occupationally - Non-bituminous relevant allergens hydrocarbon fuels included: rubber accelerators, hairdressing bleach, potassium dichromate in leather or cement, hair dye and epoxy resin
Comparative results tables Table . Summary of worker employment and demographic characteristics associated with exposure to wet work or chemicals and/or diagnosis of occupational skin disease Characteristics associated with exposure and disease Wet work exposure Dermal chemical exposure Occupational skin disease Overall exposure - 9.8% of workers surveyed washed their hands more than 20 times per day - 7.3% of workers surveyed had their hands immersed in liquids for more than one hour per day - 4.5% of workers surveyed had their hands immersed in liquids for more than two hours per day - Hand washing exposures were largely distinct from hand immersion exposures - 37% of workers surveyed reported that they had skin contact with at least one chemical while at work in the week preceding the survey Work was a substantially contributing factor to OSD in 60% of patients and a partially contributing factor in 15% of patients attending the clinic Concurrent exposures Workers who reported dermal exposure to chemicals were much more likely to report exposure to wet work than workers who did not report exposure to chemicals Self-reported exposure to multiple chemical groups was common Multiple contributing factors to OSD are very common – multiple diagnoses in 58% of patients Main substances reported The most commonly reported liquids were: - Water - Detergents, cleaning products, disinfectants - Solvents - Fuels and oils - Concrete The most commonly reported groups of chemicals were: - Detergents - Organic solvents - Disinfectants - Bases & alkalis - Paints, varnishes and inks - Cement & lime - Non-bituminous hydrocarbon fuels - Irritant contact dermatitis in females was more likely to be caused by soaps / detergents or wet work - Irritant contact dermatitis in males was more likely to be caused by oils / coolants and solvent exposures - Occupationally relevant allergens included: rubber accelerators, hairdressing bleach, potassium dichromate in leather or cement, hair dye and epoxy resin
summary_of_research_reports_on_dermal_exposures_and_osd.docx