In every year, 900,000 working days are lost to industry fue to skin

troubles. Workers might be expected to look after their skin, they do not, but
when something goes wrong with it, there is no greater cause of lowered morale.
In modern industry, apart from the familiar causes of skin troubles, every
day brings new dangers. The risk of dermatitis has moved ito practically every
area of industrial operaions and today resins, coolants, solvents, and chemicals
present a growing challenge to the people who try to control costly skin ailments.
The simplest definition of occupational dermatitioes its any inflammation of the
skin due to exposure to an irritant at work.
When reviewing the hazards to wich the skin is exposed it is important to
consider how the skin structure can be affected by working materials, by failure
to keep it clean, and by the use of dangerous substances such as solvents,
industrial detergents, abrasives, etc. to clean it after work. For clarity the
complex structure of the human skin may be simplified ito three main layers.
a) The epidermis or router protective layer, naturally waterproof, consists of
layers of dead horny cells wich are constantly shen and replaced from
generating layer below. Natural human waxy fat secreations-sebum and
keratin-constantly emerge in a clean healthy skin to provide the natural,
and fitnest protecton against outside attack.
b) The Dermis, immediately beneath the epidermis consists of dense fibrous
tissue, housing blood vessels, sebaceous glands, hair follicles, nerve
endings, and sweet glands. Its uppermost surface is deeply corrugated
and fits into the underside of the epidermis rather like stubby fingers into
a glove.
c) The Hyoerdermis wich is really the lower part of the main dermis, is a
mass of fat cells and vascular tissue.
The skin is largest single organ of the body and, far from being a mere
covering for our flesh and bones, is a living part of us. In addition to
protection against outside irritants and bacteria it regulates our temperature
by its reaction to heat or cold; the pores dilate when we are hot, allowing
perspiration to come to the surface and evaporate to cool us; when it is cold
they close to retain body heat. Perspiration also helps to rid the body of waste
matter and, since the normal person produces approximately 1 of
perspiration per day (in high temperatures the rate can be as high as 1 1 per
day) this function of the skin is important. On the palms of the hands and the

soles of the feet there are as any as 460 pores/cm2 againts 60/cm2 on the
legs or back.
The skin also breathes, taking in oxygen and discharging carbon dioxide in
the same way as the respiratory system, but at much slower. It is only during
this century, although there are clinical data on the skin going back as far as
Ramazzini (1633-1714), that the vital role of the skin in assimilation by the
body of fats and proteins has been revealed.
Here then is a complex and very important part of human anatomy,
exposed daily to the hazards of work in modern industry through sickness,
and study of an authoritative work in modern industry through sickness, and
study of an Tulipan, nad Brimingham, published by Lea and Febiger,
Philadelphia, U.S.A) shows the risk, trough greater with some materials than
others, extends throughout industry.
Medical evidence reveals various fctors wich may affect the incindence of
skin troubles.
1. It is tought that blonde persons are particularly sensitive
2. Hairy skins seem to be more susceptible to oil acne but thick, oily
skins withstand solvents better than others.
3. Women appear to be more sensitive than than men, but they tend
to look after themselves better.
4. Persons with a history of skin trouble, or knowwn or suspected
allergies, may be easily affected.
5. The summer produces more cases of dermatitis, possibly because
the skin is perspiring and open, but in winter in the risk may appear
higher because of drying and chapping of the skin
6. The increasing use of modern chemicals in the home may have a
decided bearing on the incidence of skin troubles.
7. General health is important, and diet is more important in winter
8. Finally, and perhaps most important of all, personal hygiene.
The causes of occupational skin troubles usually fall within this list:
1. Mechanical damage due to injury, friction or pressure;
2. Natural plants, wood, micro-organisms (e.g,primula obconica, teak, and
fungi);
3. Heat, cold, exesscive sunlight (causing photosensitization) especially in
industries where flitering materials are deposited on the skin (e.g.,pitch
and tar); irradiation also comes into this category;

4. Chemicals, especially inorganic alkalis such as caustic soda, lime,

caustic potash, cement, inorganic acids such as sulphuric, hydrocloric
or hydrofluoric; organic acids:carbolic acid, acetic; oxalic: alkaline
substances with a pH value over seven;
5. Various metals, especeially non-ferrous; dyes 9often due to the
measures taken to remove stains from the skin); explosive; plasticizers;
hardeners; and various pharmaceutical products.
Inflammation may spring from nervous causes or from psyciatric reasons, and
people who are prone to constitutional eczema often react quickly to an irritant.
One of the two main types of dermatitis found in industry is contact
dermatities; an onflammation occurs as a direct result of exposure ro an iirritant
or trauma and this usually exhibits itself on the exsposed parts of the body. The
other type is sensitization wich may take years to build up for, if it is more rapid
onset, may be due to a personss hypersensitivity or allergy to a certain
susbstance. This typr can manifest itself elsewhere on the body than on the parts
exposed.
This is the problem to be dealt with: a highly complex and vital part of the
body is exposed every day to substances which injure it, interrupt its functions,
and lead to one of the most distressing of illnesses wich, one contracted, usually
takes a long time to clear up and often leads to general lowering of morale. This
is a problem where anounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. The basic need
is to prevent contact or, where tha is impracticable, to reduce the period of
contact to a maximum.
It is assumed that personal engaged for a process will have been
medically checked for previous skin-disease history and any unusual skin
condition such as excessive perspiring or dryness. Personnel employed on any
process where there is a skin hazard should be told about it and instructed in the
right technique to minimize the risk.
This having been done, every effort should be made to use the least
harmful effective materials for the job. The safety routine is then simplified and
the following are the precautions to be taken.
1. Good houskeeping. The importance of clean and safe environment and
atmosphere cannot be overestimated. A person working in slovenly

surroundings may be expected to be careless in his approach to

personal hygiene.
2. Consultation. The most effective way of implementing a cleanliness
progamme is to bring the operatives, through Work ouncils or Safety
Committess or through theri Unions, into discussions about the
precautions necessary tominimize risk.
3. Protetive clothing. Gloves, masks, and aprons help to reduce contact
and are of great value also against physical and mechanical risks to the
skin; but he finest protective equipment is worse than useless if it is
not kept clean. It was reported that in one factory where an outbreak of
oil acne was investigated, for every case involving the exposed
forearms there were eight on the thighs and stomach because the
overalls were not changed regularly enough.
For persons exposed to primary skin irritants and known dermatitis
hazards, barrier creams should be provided, but great care must be
excersied to ensure that the correct barrier for the job is employed. It is a
waste of time and money to provide a water soluble barrier creame on a
job involving water, solvents or even excessive perspiration. A degree of
protectioncan be secured by careful application of the correct barrier
substace to clean skin. At the very least their use reminds and encourages
people to wash and, since the removal of the potential irritant is of prime
importance, this is valuable. Beware, however, of giving operatives a false
sense of security.
It is now acknowledged that the most powerful factor against
occupational skin troubles is the regular removal of all contamination at
work breaks and at finishing times. To do this, an efficient and properly
formulated skin cleaser is required since it is only in a minority of cases
that soap and water (the minimum statuory requirement) is effective in
removing contamination from the skin. Efficient cleansers ibviate the
misuse of solvents, abrasives, domestic detergents, bleaches and scouring
powders and thereby eliminate what my 20 years practical observatin
shows to be the major cause of skin troubles occuring in industry.
A suitable skin cleanser for industry must be safe, efficient, and quick.
The criteria in developing a skin cleanser are as follows:

a. It must work, quickly, and visibly, removing the widest range of

substances normally encountered in a days work. It must cleanse
the skin, not only on its surface, but also deep into the pores and
hair follicles. It must not depend for its acceptance on that false
sense of well-being given by the type of cleanser wich leaves a soft
feeling due entirely to a thin layer of the very mineral oil it is
supposed to remove.
b. It must medically safe. Drying out he natural oils cannot be
tolerated, nor must it contain any potentialy dermatitic substances.
c. Its pH value must be as near to that of the normal skin as is
compatible with effisient cleansing, and have no free alkali or
solvent.
d. It must contain no abrasive to do mechanical damage to the skin.
e. It must be completely acceptable to those who areto use it, easy to
use, dispense and control, and available at a price wich will allow it
to be made for general uses.
Clean, dry towels for good drying after washing are essential. Hands and
other part left wet are prone to cracking and chapping at all seasons, especially
winter, and this condition is often confused with dermatitis.
Having decided on the action to be taken to obviate skin trouble,
management must then bring into force a continuous programme of education to
ensure that workers receive maximum benerfit from it. Posters, where applicable,
may be displayed, together with reminder notices provided by reputable
suppliers to encourage full use of the precauitonary measures provided to
eliminate abuse.
Reputable manufacturers of industrial skin care products maintain free
technical advisory services with fully laboratory facilities. The problems of
synthetic resins in industry, particulary those of the epoxy type, are one example
of these free facilities can assit industrial management; promoters of such a
service will try hard to help their clients. The problem may be one to wivh an
immediate answer is available because it has occured previously or, if it is a new
one, the answer will be founf and this will benefit any company encountering a
similiar set of circumstances.
Selection, protection, the best personal hygiene, good houskeeping in the
factory, and a continuous education progamme...these are rhe measures wich

will do most to eliminate skin cases from any industry. Once this has been done
the lot of the Safety and Medical officer will bw happier one since there is no
more difficult case to resolve than one of dermatitis.