[Occupational dermatoses].

BACKGROUND: Occupational dermatitis is a problem in the printing industry but can be avoided through adequate protective measures. Research into intervention implementation is fundamental to the success of a formal intervention effectiveness trial. OBJECTIVES: The preliminary testing of four risk reduction strategies for occupationally caused dermatitis, which represent a range of approaches and cost implications. PATIENTS/METHODS: The strategies, the provision of (i) skin checks plus treatment advice; provision of (ii) gloves of the correct type/size plus use of an after-work cream; provision of (iii) information highlighting the problem of occupational dermatitis and (iv) development of a best practice skin care policy, were evaluated over 3 months in two non-randomly selected companies. A post-intervention evaluation into the effectiveness and efficacy of the intervention was also carried out. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: All interventions were found to be acceptable to some extent. No single intervention appeared to be completely effective. The most practical intervention appeared to be the regular use of gloves of the correct type and size. This preliminary intervention study has demonstrated an improvement in the skin condition of workers examined and points towards the need for further testing of risk reduction strategies for the prevention of dermatitis in the printing industry on a much larger scale.

Dermatitis, Occupational↗

PubMed2006

A new sampler to assess dermal exposure during wet working.

In the UK, approximately 30% of cases of dermatitis reported to the national surveillance scheme are associated with wet working or exposure to aqueous mixtures. There is evidence that the duration and frequency that hands are wet are key determinants of risk, but there are no objective methods to measure these exposure factors. This research aimed to develop a practical tool to measure the duration and the number of occasions hands are wet. We developed an electronic sensor that is worn on the finger, which detects wetness from evaporative cooling. The output signal is recorded in electronic memory and the frequency and duration of exposure calculated using a simple data processing algorithm. The device has been tested in a variety of environmental conditions and for a standardized wet-work task. Wetting events were detectable in all the standardized tests, with the proportion of time the hands were wet ranging from 15 to 49% (mean 30%). The electronic sensor is slightly affected by abrupt changes in air temperature and rapid air movements, but these do not seem to impose any practical limitations. This IOM Wet-Work sampler has the potential to provide reliable measurements of exposure that may be used to assess the risk of contact dermatitis.

Dermatitis, Occupational↗