PREVENTING

DERMATITIS
AT WORK
Advice for employers and employees
 Why me?

Do you manage a small business? Or do you work on the shop floor?

Perhaps you do both. Legally employers and employees have
different duties and responsibilities for health and safety at work - see
‘What the law says’ at the end of this leaflet. In practice you both will
be affected by what goes on at work. You both need to know about
the health problems that can be caused by substances you come into
contact with at work.

What’s the problem?

Occupational dermatitis - and it affects virtually all industries and

businesses.

Signs can be redness, itching, scaling and blistering. If it gets worse

the skin can crack and bleed and the dermatitis can spread all over
the body. It can be bad enough to keep you off work and serious
enough to force you to change jobs. If it is spotted early and adequate
precautions are taken, most people will make a full recovery. But
some people can be affected for life.

HSE estimated that in 2002, about 39 000 people in Great Britain

were suffering from a skin disease caused by their work. Most of
these cases resulted from exposure of the skin to chemical agents.

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How is it caused?

Occupational dermatitis is caused by the skin coming into contact with

certain substances at work. Because of this it is sometimes called
‘occupational contact dermatitis’. It is not infectious, so it cannot be
passed from one person to another.

How quickly you get it depends on a number of things:

❒ the substance;
❒ its strength or potency;
❒ how long and how often it touches the skin.

Some things might affect you almost the first day you use them, some
might take weeks, months or even years to cause occupational
dermatitis.

Dermatitis usually affects the hands or forearms, the places most

likely to touch the substance. But you can get it on your face, neck or
chest from certain types of dusts, liquids and fumes. Dermatitis can
even spread to parts of your body that haven’t been in contact with
the substance. It can be very painful. But with a little care most cases
can be prevented.

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 So what’s it to me?

If you are the worker - your health, your livelihood, your family and
social life. It can affect you for life. Your skin can become so damaged
that you might have to change jobs, possibly to a lower paid one. It
affects your appearance, and although dermatitis isn’t catching -
some people think it is.

My social life went. I didn’t go out. I just refused to go

out ...William Wilson, former paint mixer

If you are in charge it can affect your health, family life and social
life. You may be breaking the law, and it could cost you a lot of
money.

I’ve had a business for 20 years: it was my life. I had to

put it on the market which was something I didn’t want
to do... Tim Andrews, former hairdressing salon owner

Ask yourself -

❒ How many workers can you afford to lose?

❒ How many workers can you afford to re-train?

❒ How many days sickness a year can you afford your workers
to take off?

❒ How many orders can you afford to lose just because you
haven’t got the staff that day?

It can add up to an awful lot of money.

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 For the first three years that I had it, for every week I
was able to work there were two weeks when I wasn’t
able to work....Edward Colvill, former tiler

Look at this list. Do you work in any of these?

❒ Hairdressing/beauty care
❒ Catering and food processing
❒ Cleaning
❒ Construction
❒ Engineering
❒ Printing
❒ Chemical
❒ Health care
❒ Agriculture/horticulture
❒ Rubber
❒ Offshore

These are the business sectors with the highest risk of work-
related skin disease.

But remember: dermatitis can affect people working in all

sectors.

My hands were all cuts and blisters. I had to get my

boyfriend to help me eat because I couldn’t hold a knife
and fork - couldn’t grip anything...
Dawn Mitchell, former apprentice hairdresser

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 IF YOU ARE IN CHARGE, ASK YOURSELF FOUR QUESTIONS

1 Do we have a problem?

Do you have skin problems? Do any of your workers have a skin

problem? If there are a few of you with skin problems, something at
work might be causing it. If there’s a safety representative ask them if
they’ve noticed any problems. Even if the answer to this question is
no, you should still ask yourself the next three questions.

2 Do we know what we are using?

Find out. Read the labels, look for the safety data sheets. If there isn’t
one get hold of it - the supplier must give you this information. See if
any of the substances you use can cause dermatitis. Look for the
words ‘may cause skin sensitisation’, or ‘irritating to skin’ on the label
or safety data sheet. Remember some things that cause dermatitis
might not be labelled. Shampoos, some cleaning materials and some
diluted metal working fluids do not carry these labels; but if you use
them a lot over a long period of time they can still cause dermatitis.

3 Can we use a safer alternative?

If you are using something that can cause dermatitis, can you use
something safer? Try asking your trade association.

4 Can we do the job in a safer way?

If you can’t use a safer alternative, can you do the job in a safer way?
Can you stop skin contact with the substance by automating the
process for instance? If it’s dust and fumes that are causing the
dermatitis, some sort of exhaust ventilation might help.

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In some jobs there is nothing you can do to stop contact with
substances that can cause dermatitis but there is still a lot you
can do to protect yourself.

❒ Wearing the right sort of gloves can help protect against

chemical splashes when you are handling substances that
can cause dermatitis. Remember to change them frequently.

❒ Use a moisturising cream before and after work. This will help
to replace the natural oils that your skin loses when you wash
or when you come into contact with detergents and solvents.

❒ Wear a face shield or full-face mask, and protective coveralls

if you do a job where liquids, fumes or dust that can cause
dermatitis might get onto your face and neck.

❒ Keep your skin clean.

❒ Make sure your protective clothes are clean and intact.

❒ Keep your workplace clean, including machinery and tools.

❒ If you use diluted chemicals, make sure they are diluted to

the correct strength - if they are over strength they are more
likely to cause dermatitis.

If you are in charge make sure:

❒ you tell your employees about any substances they work with
that can cause dermatitis and train them to use properly any
control measures you provide;

❒ you provide the right protective clothing and gloves, ask your
supplier. There are different types for different jobs to protect
against different substances;

❒ you have protective clothing cleaned and replaced regularly

(unless they are disposable);

❒ there are adequate washing facilities.

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 What the law says

If you are an employer you have a duty under the Control of

Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and the
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to
prevent your employees from coming into contact with substances
hazardous to health which cause dermatitis. If it is not reasonably
practicable for you to prevent their exposure to these substances, the
law says you must do what you can to control that exposure.

If you are an employee you have a legal duty to cooperate with your
employer on health and safety matters and to take reasonable care of
your own health: you must use the equipment that your employer
provides to protect your health and tell your supervisor if anything
goes wrong with it.

Skin checks for people working with substances known to cause

severe dermatitis

If you are likely to be in contact with substances that are known to

cause severe dermatitis, you should have regular skin checks.

If you are in charge you should set up a system of skin checks for
your workers. In the first instance you will probably need an
occupational health nurse or doctor to train somebody to carry out
skin inspections and to advise you on how often you should carry
them out. The trained person can only look for abnormal signs: they
are not qualified to make judgements about the cause of any skin
problems they may come across. They should refer anyone with
apparent skin problems to their GP or the works occupational health
nurse or doctor if there is one.

As a worker it is in your interest to go for the skin inspections your

manager provides. If you start to get dermatitis and it is spotted at an
early stage, you can do something about it. If you ignore the problem,
it might not go away: it could affect you for life.

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As well as protecting your health, these inspections also help to make
sure that the systems in place to protect you are working. If a few of
you start to show symptoms, something might be wrong. For instance
you might need new protective clothing. If you are in charge check
again that you are doing all you can to protect your workers’ health.
And if you are the worker make sure that you are following the
instructions - use the work methods and protective clothing that are
there to protect your health.

Remember to report any skin problems to your manager

immediately. Tell your safety representative, if you have one, so that
they can take this up with your employer.

If you go to see your GP about any skin problem, remember to tell

him or her about the work you do and the substances you use. If the
symptoms don’t go away you may need to see a skin specialist,
ideally one who specialises in occupational skin problems.

At their very worst my hands were covered in Vaseline

and I just sat there. I couldn’t bear one finger to touch
another one. It was just much too painful. That was the
full extent of my life... Edward Colvill, former tiler

Consultation and safety representatives

If you are in charge of a business you must consult employees on

health and safety issues. If you recognise a trade union this must be
done through the representatives they appoint who can investigate
complaints about health and safety from the employees they
represent, and who can take these matters up with you.

If you are the worker and you have any concerns or problems about
working with substances that can cause dermatitis you can ask your
safety representative, if you have one, to take them up with your boss.

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 Further reading
Selecting protective gloves for work with chemicals: Guidance for employers and
health and safety specialists Leaflet INDG330 HSE Books 2000 (single copy free
or priced packs of 15 ISBN 0 7176 1827 7)
Cost and effectiveness of chemical protective gloves for the workplace: Guidance
for employers and health and safety specialists HSG206 HSE Books 2001
ISBN 0 7176 1828 5
Assessing and managing risks at work from skin exposure to chemical agents:
Guidance for employers and health and safety specialists HSG205 HSE Books
2001 ISBN 0 7176 1826 9
COSHH essentials: Easy steps to control chemicals - Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health Regulations HSG193 (Second edition) HSE Books 2003
ISBN 0 7176 2737 3 (Also freely available on the Internet at www.coshh-
essentials.org.uk)
Control of substances hazardous to health. The Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health Regulations 2002. Approved Code of Practice and guidance L5 (Fourth
edition) HSE Books 2002 ISBN 0 7176 2534 6
HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from HSE Books,
PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995
Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk (HSE priced publications are also available from
bookshops and free leaflets can be downloaded from HSE’s website:
www.hse.gov.uk.)
For information about health and safety ring HSE's Infoline Tel: 08701 545500
Fax: 02920 859260 e-mail: [email protected] or write to
HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory but which you
may find helpful in considering what you need to do.

This leaflet is available in priced packs of 15 from HSE Books, ISBN 0 7176 1246 5.
Single free copies are also available from HSE Books.
© Crown copyright This publication may be freely reproduced, except for advertising,
endorsement or commercial purposes. First published 9/96. Please acknowledge the source
as HSE.

INDG233 Reprinted 3/04 C1000

Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive

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RASH DECISIONS
HSE’s video on work-related dermatitis - its causes, effects and prevention

Work-related dermatitis affects many people in all sorts of industries - hairdressing,

construction, catering, cleaning, engineering, printing and horticulture, to name but
a few. An estimated 66 000 people have a skin disease caused by their work,
resulting in half a million working days lost each year. The good news is that this
suffering and financial loss are preventable.

Rash decisions aims to raise awareness of the causes of occupational dermatitis

and the steps employers need to take to prevent it.

This video demonstrates that managing the risks makes good business sense and
prevents unnecessary suffering.

Running time: 17 minutes

Available from: HSE Books (see details opposite).

Produced in the UK for the Health and Safety Executive.

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