Occupational Skin Disease

What is occupational skin disease?

   Occupation skin disease is one of the leading occupational injuries. Over 31 million workers in the United States are being exposed to chemicals that have the ability to absorb through the skin into the body.  The toxins that these individuals are being exposed to have a harmful affect on the skin and health of that worker.  These diseases can be caused from a variety of different sources, including sunlight, heat, cold, moisture, radiation, acids, bases, soaps, oils, water, and many more.
   Occupational skin diseases include irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, and skin cancer.  These are all diseases that are caused by exposure in a work setting.  Irritant contact dermatitis is when an individual is exposed to a weak irritant over a long period of time and develops a reaction.  This type of contact dermatitis can be caused by over exposure to soap or even water.  Allergic contact dermatitis comes from a short exposure to substances that affect the immune system when absorbed into the skin.  These substances, like poison ivy, cause redness, blistering, and swelling.  Skin cancer can result from exposure to ultraviolet light, inorganic metals, and radiation.  Tumors and lesions can also develop due to cancer.  Skin cancer is something that shows up decades after the exposure, so it is difficult to know at the time how the exposure will affect the worker.  All of these diseases can be prevented in the work place with the right knowledge and protection.

How to prevent skin diseases?

   There are many different ways to prevent the diseases listed above.  The best way to prevent these diseases is to be informed and know what you're being exposed to in the work place.  That way, you can better protect yourself from the health risks.  The best way to prevent disease is to avoid those substances that cause irritation, but in some cases that is not an option.  Initially, it is important to ask a supervisor the potential exposures at that job site.  The earlier you know the risks, the more chance you have in preventing the diseases. The supervisor should provide their workers with proper handling for any hazardous material in the area, if they don't, then ask.  This is a great resource to follow to best prevent infection.  Other common ways to prevent skin diseases are properly wearing gloves, limiting exposure, and washing hands with mild soaps.  Wearing proper gloves will prevent the solutions from coming in direct contact with the skin.  Limiting exposure to the source will also limit the affects that it has on the worker's body.  Making sure that the workers wash their hands with mild soap to remove any possible irritants.  Removing the solutions from the skin before they absorb will prevent damage and spread of the solution to other areas of the body.  Overall, these guidelines for preventing occupational skin disease are ways to limit the damage of the work place exposures.  

Sources:

  Workplace Safety and Prevention Services 

     http://www.wsps.ca/WSPS/media/Site/Resources/Downloads/WSPS_Dermatitis_Prevention.pdf?ext=.pdf

  Occupational Health and Safety

     http://ohsonline.com/Articles/2009/04/01/Preventing-Occupational-Skin-Diseases.aspx?Page=1

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

     http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/