Dermatitis, or eczema, is a painful reaction of the skin to an irritant. Your work may expose you to substances which could provoke a skin complaint such as chemical solvents, animal hair, printer ink, certain foods, or even just too much handwashing. Read on for information on the most common causes of dermatitis, and information on how you and your employer can protect your health.
The TUC has information on its skin hazards web pages in the health and safety section. tuc.org.uk/h_and_s
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)’s Skin at work web pages have information for employees and employers, including the leaflet Occupational dermatitis in the catering industry, COSHH: A brief guide to the Regulations: What you need to know about the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), and Preventing dermatitis at work: advice for employers and employees. They are also available free of charge in the publications section, or can be bought from HSE Books Tel: 01787 81165. hse.gov.uk
The HSE also has a guide to latex allergy at hse.gov.uk/latex.
Unison’s health and safety unit publishes Caring for cleaning staff, and Dermatitis at work. Tel: 020 7551 1146, or download them from the resources section of the Unison website, under Health and Safety. unison.org.uk/resources.
The National Eczema Society has information on contact dermatitis, including the leaflet Contact dermatitis – have I got it? Free helpline 8am -8pm Monday to Friday Tel: 0870 241 3604. eczema.org
