Dermal Exposure to Chemical Hazards in the Workplace
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates more than 13 million workers in the United States are potentially exposed to chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin. Dermal exposure to hazardous agents can result in a variety of occupational diseases and disorders, including occupational skin diseases (OSD) and systemic toxicity.
According to NIOSH, occupational skin diseases are the second most common type of occupational disease and can occur in several different forms, including:
• Irritant contact dermatitis
• Allergic contact dermatitis
• Skin cancers
• Skin infections
• Skin injuries
• Other miscellaneous skin diseases
Contact dermatitis is one of the most common types of occupational illness, with estimated annual costs exceeding $1 billion proclaims NIOSH.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also reports that skin exposure to chemicals in the workplace is a significant problem. Both the number of cases and the rate of skin disease in the U.S. exceeds recordable respiratory illnesses. In 2018, 25,000 recordable skin diseases were reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at a rate of 2.2 injuries per 10,000 employees, compared to 19,600 respiratory illnesses with a rate of 1.7 illnesses per 10,000 employees.
OSHA goes on to state:
Most chemicals are readily absorbed through the skin and can cause other health effects and/or contribute to the dose absorbed by inhalation of the chemical from the air. Many studies indicate that absorption of chemicals through the skin can occur without being noticed by the worker. In many cases, skin is a more significant route of exposure than the lung. This is particularly true for non-volatile chemicals which are relatively toxic and which remain on work surfaces for long periods of time. The number of occupational illnesses caused by skin absorption of chemicals is not known.
These are just a few of the many things to know about dermal exposure risks to chemicals in the workplace. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark https://www.csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. https://www.emsl.com
LA Testing https://www.latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental https://www.zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine https://www.healthyindoors.com