Early intervention and immediate corrective action
This section shows you how to tackle skin
disorders in the workplace and gives you links to other sources of
help.
Helping an employee with skin
problems
Immediate medical
advice
Information about specific
conditions
Advice for employers
Advice for employees
Review of skin management
protection programme
Helping an employee with skin problems
The HSE recommends early intervention for all work-related ill
health as a key aspect of ensuring the best outcome for the
employee and the employer. It’s important to protect an individual
who has a suspected occupational skin disease from further exposure
while the cause or causes of the symptoms are investigated and
identified. Once an employee has developed a skin problem, exposure
must be controlled to prevent further skin problems and the
employee should avoid contact with the substance. As a last resort,
the employer may have to consider if the employee should be given a
new role.
Not all skin problems are due to occupational factors, and
employers need to consider whether an employee’s condition has been
made worse by work. For example, an employee’s genetic
predisposition towards dermatitis or pre-existing dermatitis could
be exacerbated by wet work. Employers also need to consider whether
the condition could make work difficult for the employee.
Immediate medical advice
When an employee develops a skin disease, they should be put in
touch with the employer’s occupational health service (occupational
physician or occupational nurse). If the employer doesn’t have an
occupational health service, the employee should be advised to
consult their GP. It’s important that the employee can provide
information about their work and the materials they handle so that
the health practitioner can make an informed judgment about the
likely cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Employees can get advice from the NHS
Direct website, or by calling 0845 4647. With serious skin
problems, expert medical advice should be sought as soon as
possible.
Information about specific conditions
The HSE provides brief descriptions about the different types of
occupational skin disease.
The British Association of Dermatologists has comprehensive
factsheets on acne,
contact
dermatitis, skin
cancer and urticaria. Each
factsheet defines the disease and provides information on causes,
symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and where you can get more
information.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
website has comprehensive factsheets on acne,
allergic
contact dermatitis, irritant
contact dermatitis and skin
cancer and sunlight. This site focuses on these skin diseases
from an occupational point of view. As well as providing
information on causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, the
website also offers information on occupations at risk, associated
substances that can cause a problem, and outlines preventive
measures.
You can get more information on skin diseases at the
HSE
website.
Advice for employers
It’s important that you investigate skin problems thoroughly to
identify the causes and prevent further exposure. Occupational
physicians and dermatologists can help you identify and manage skin
problems. They may use
patch testing as a way of identifying whether a particular
substance is causing allergic contact dermatitis. Occupational
hygienists can also help you identify and control risks.
The following booklets
Occupational diseases of the skin and A guide to
occupational skin disease provide information and advice to
help you address skin issues.
The free Health for Work Adviceline for
Small Business helps you to quickly and effectively address the
issue of employee ill health, minimise the impact of staff illness,
and provide essential support to staff with physical or mental
health issues.
If a doctor confirms that an employee is suffering from an
occupational skin disease, you must report it to the HSE under the
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations (RIDDOR)1995.
Advice for employees
If you have a skin problem, you should tell manager and/or
safety representative immediately. You should also speak to your
manager and/or safety representative if controls aren’t working.
This includes using gloves that are worn or inappropriate for the
work you do. It’s important that you have a skin check-up and
attend health surveillance sessions if your employer asks you
to.
Review of skin management protection programme
If skin problems are detected in the workplace, employers should
review their skin protection management programme, or develop one
if they don’t have one already. A programme should cover:
The Peninsula Medical School literature review provides an
evidence base for early intervention in sickness absence in the
report Avoiding
long-term incapacity for work: Developing an early intervention in
primary care.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work report on
Skin diseases and dermal exposure: policy and practice overview
includes advice and presents principle policies in relation to skin
disorders.
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Stress | Musculoskeletal disorders | Skin disorders | Inhalation disorders