Occupational Medicine 2004;54:227-230
Occupational Medicine, Vol. 54 No. 4 © Society of Occupational Medicine; all rights reserved
Incidence of occupational skin conditions in a food manufacturing company: results of a health surveillance programme
Background
The food industry has been associated with a high risk of work-related skin problems.
Aim
To examine the incidence of work-related skin conditions and the likely causative agents in a single large food company.
Method
Analysis of a health surveillance programme, conducted over a 7 year period, in a food company with 21 000 employees working in diverse manufacturing processes.
Results
The mean incidence of skin conditions, taking all of the different food manu- facturing operations together, was 1310 per million employees per annum. The mean incidence was greatest in the manufacturing sector whose operations involved chilled or frozen product (3180 per million employees per annum). Most of the cases reported (184/192 = 96%) were due to primary irritant dermatitis. The two commonest suspected causes of the dermatitis were contact with ingredients and hand washing. Taken together, these factors accounted for 58% of all cases. Although the wearing of gloves is often considered necessary to prevent dermatitis from exposure to ingredients and to lessen the need for hand washing, this factor itself was responsible for 9% of all cases.
Conclusion
Analysis of a company health surveillance scheme showed the average incidence of work-related skin problems to be lower than previously reported in the food industry.
Keywords Dermatitis; food industry; occupational skin conditions
Received 31 March 2003
Revised 24 July 2003
Accepted 2 October 2003
Correspondence to: Dr T. A. Smith, RHM Limited, King Edward House, 27/30 King Edward Court, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1TJ, UK. e-mail: tsmith{at}rhms.co.uk