Occupational Dermatitis
Dermatitis is a condition that affects the skin when the rate of protective layer wears off at a rate that exceeds the rate of repair. Occupational dermatitis is a non-infectious disease that is caused by contact with substances used at work. Occupational dermatitis may take two forms which are Irritant contact dermatitis and Allergic contact dermatitis.
Irritant Dermatitis
Occurs when the skin is exposed to a mild irritant repeatedly over a long period of time and or to a strong irritant that cause immediate skin damage, it mostly affects the skin section that gets in contact with the substance. Mild irritants include detergents or solvents whilst strong irritants include acids, alkalis or strong soaps.
Substances causing Irritant Dermatitis – Wet cement, solvents, degreasers, alkalis, acids, detergents, strong soaps.
Allergic contact Dermatitis
Comes into being when a substance causes a person to become sensitized or experiences a reaction sometime after exposure. A person does not become allergic to a substance immediately on first contact as the time between contact and the development of an allergy can vary from a number of days to months or even years. Reaction may range from minor to serious effects.
Substances causing Allergic Dermatitis – Latex, chromates, nickel, epoxy resins, formaldehyde, wood dust, flour, printing plate chemicals, adhesives.
It is not uncommon for an individual to experience both irritant and allergic dermatitis after simultaneous exposure to numerous irritants ad sensitizers.
Occupational Dermatitis Control
- Operation Procedures – in order to prevent injury and dermatitis, tasks performed by workers must have clear procedures on the materials to be handled and appropriate prevention measures.
- Risk Assessments – Every site must have a written Risk Assessment which will identify if there are substances in the workplace that may cause dermatitis.
- Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) – workers must always refer to MSDS before using substances as it will have information on the health hazards associated with the substance and protective and preventive measures.
- Training – Workers must be informed of the substances they are handling, the associated hazards and the control measures required to prevent harm.
- Health Surveillance – required to identify at an early stage the onset of dermatitis. The earlier the identification the better and more effective the treatment
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – The purpose of PPE is to prevent direct skin contact. With the hazardous substance . When using gloves ensure the appropriate gloves are used in line with the substance being handled.
If you would like to know more, contact us at Fanira. We are here to help.