Is occupational dermatitis being taken seriously by UK industries? Occup Med 49

Occupational dermatitis is a considerable burden but little is documented concerning industry response to this. A postal questionnaire survey of 1,100 UK companies was conducted to investigate skin care provision. The response rate was 51%. The person primarily responsible for hearth and safety had a professional qualification in only 34 % of responding companies. In all, 75 % of companies responded that they were required to conduct COSHH risk assessments and, of these, 71 % mentioned skin hazards. Only 27 % of companies had a skin care policy but 71 % had procedures requiring glove use. Seventy-seven per cent of companies did not conduct regular skin checks. Twenty-six per cent had either been aware of a skin problem in the workforce in the last 12 months or had had to modify work practices. Improvement of skin care in UK industry could be facilitated by the establishment of a minimum recommended training qualification; assistance with compliance with COSHH legislation; and guidelines to design and implement a skin policy, provide worker protection and detect skin problems. Key words: Contact dermatitis; health and safety; occupational health