MoD Health & Safety Handbook
JSP 375 Vol 2
LEAFLET 5 ANNEX E
MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES INC. LEAD & ASBESTOS
Contents
Para
GUIDELINES FOR PREVENTING OCCUPATIONAL DERMATITIS
1 Introduction
4 Relevant
legislation
5
Causes of occupational dermatitis
10
Preventing occupational dermatitis
12
Education
15
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
18
Health surveillance
20
Barrier creams
Other occupational skin diseases
22
Chloracne
23
Contact urticaria
24
Neoplasia
25
Oil folliculitis
26
Photodermatoses
27
Reporting occupational skin disorders
Table
Page
1 Factors that may increase penetration of the skin
3
Appendix
1 Main Points for Specialist Technical and Engineering Experts
2 Main Points for Senior Managers
3 Main Points for Line Managers
4 Main Points for Workers
GUIDELINES FOR PREVENTING OCCUPATIONAL DERMATITIS
REFERENCES
A.
OCCUPATIONAL DERMATITIS: GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES.
INDG233, ISBN 0 7176 1246 5, HSE BOOKS.
B.
MOD ACCIDENT REPORTING PROCEDURES, JSP 442.
INTRODUCTION
1
Occupational dermatitis (sometimes termed contact dermatitis) is inflammation of the skin as a
result of the skin being affected by substances at work that cause either irritation or an allergic reaction.
The commonest symptoms are redness, itching, scaling and cracking of the skin. Severe cases may
result in blisters, exudates and crusting. How quickly dermatitis develops depends on the nature of the
substance, its chemical properties and the duration and frequency of contact or exposure. Occupational
dermatitis normally starts on the part of the body most exposed to the responsible substance (often the
hands) but can spread over the whole body. About 4,500 new cases of occupational dermatitis are
reported via ENDERM/OPRA in the UK each year. This is probably only a small proportion of the total
number of cases, as many go unreported. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates the true
number of cases to be in the region of ten times this (45,000).
Leaflet 5 Annex E
April 2003
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