Work-related skin disease

There has been an overall reduction in annual new cases of work-related skin disease since the late 1990s. However, it is still relatively common, particularly in certain occupations, and can be severe in some cases.

The latest information shows:

• Each year there were about 136 new cases of work-related skin disease per 100 000 workers during 2008-10 according to GPs (THOR-GP).
• This suggests about 40 000 new cases per year - the majority of these will be dermatitis cases caused or made worse by work.
• Reports of more severe cases of occupational dermatitis and other less common skin diseases from specialist doctors suggest there has been a reduction in numbers of new cases per year since the late 1990s (THOR-EPIDERM).
• The most common causes of occupational dermatitis are soaps and cleaners, wet work, and rubber chemicals and materials (THOR).
• Florists and hairdressers continue to have high rates of dermatitis (THOR).

Figure 1: Occupational contact dermatitis in Great Britain, 1996-2010