Occupational dermatitis in hairdressers: do they claim workers' compensation?

Occupational respiratory morbidity among hair and beauty salon workers in Udupi taluk, Karnataka, India

BACKGROUND

The Indian hair and beauty salon industry is growing rapidly due to the demand for beauty and personal care services and products. Workers in the industry are vulnerable to several occupational factors such as chemicals, confined space, and poor ventilation. Chemicals in the products used are known or suspected to cause allergies, respiratory, neurological and reproductive health problems and cancer.

METHODS

The present study was carried out to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of respiratory morbidity among hair and beauty salon workers of Udupi taluk, Karnataka, India. A total of 240 salon workers were recruited for the study. A semistructured, interviewer-led questionnaire was used to collect data. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was done using a JSB peak flow meter.

RESULTS

The frequency of respiratory morbidity among participating beauty salon workers was 19%. Men reported respiratory symptoms more frequently than women. Receiving training on work materials and practices was a significant protective factor (odds ratio = 0.3; 95% confidence interval: 0.1-0.7) for the occurrence of respiratory morbidity. The mean observed PEFR in these workers was significantly lower than their predicted values. While 61.2% of the workers were using some form of personal protective equipment, only 4% of workers used a mask or respiratory protection.

CONCLUSION

Hair and beauty salon workers are at risk of developing respiratory morbidity potentially from harmful exposures and lack of effective control measures at the workplace.

Costs of isocyanate-related occupational diseases: A systematic review

Although isocyanates are increasingly used in manufacturing and workplace exposure to isocyanates is widely recognized as one of the most frequent causes for occupational lung and skin diseases, little is known about the economic burden on the affected individual and the society. This study provides an overview on costs of occupational diseases related to isocyanates. We performed a systematic literature search of studies in the electronic databases of the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information, and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. We extracted the key characteristics of the studies and performed a study quality assessment. We identified eight studies on the costs of illness, of which five focused on occupational lung diseases and three on occupational skin diseases. Further, eight studies calculated loss of income/compensation payments. Out of the 16 identified articles, only two reported costs directly attributable to isocyanate-induced diseases (asthma). Studies were hardly comparable because they differed substantially in their methodological approaches. Moreover, the quality assessment of the studies revealed substantial limitations. While a wide range of isocyanate-related costs was identified, consequences of isocyanate-related occupational diseases were considerable in terms of societal costs and loss of income. In most studies, indirect costs were the main cost driver. There is a need for high-quality cost of illness studies on isocyanate-induced diseases stratified by degree of severity and sex. Such studies provide valuable information to develop preventive strategies and set priorities for measures to lower the burden of professional health risks.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis Due to Paraphenylenediamine: An Update

Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is an amine that is mainly used as an ingredient in hair dyes and henna tattoos. The incidence of allergic contact dermatitis to PPD is increasing, particularly in younger patients. In this article, we review the main sources of PPD and the substances with which it can interact and present a practical algorithm for diagnosing and treating suspected cases of PPD allergy.

Compensation Research Database: population-based injury data for surveillance, linkage and mining

BACKGROUND

Compensation health research aims to study the influence of compensation systems, processes and practices on health and health-related outcomes. In many jurisdictions, injury compensation authorities collect substantial volumes of case and service level data for the purpose of administering the compensation system. An important secondary use of such data is research and analysis to explore interactions between individuals and organisations in compensation systems, and between compensation and other systems including healthcare and legal systems, in order to understand the role of compensation processes in injury recovery.

RESULTS

The Compensation Research Database (CRD) established at the Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research at Monash University, holds over 20 years of population-based data for transport and workplace injury in the state of Victoria, Australia. The CRD is unique in that it is held independently, at arm's length from the compensation authorities that collect the data, and its primary purpose is to support research and analyses to develop new insights into system and individual level outcomes. This paper describes the core elements of the database including the design, process and type of information collected. We review some of the research findings that have been published using the CRD, and describe the ongoing program of research utilising the database.

CONCLUSIONS

The CRD is a unique administrative database that supports research into compensation health, with the objective of improving understanding of the interaction between injury compensation systems and injury recovery. The availability of the CRD for independent research is leading to substantial advancements in the compensation health research field and in related areas.

Recent Trends in Occupational Contact Dermatitis

Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) remains prevalent among workers and impacts quality of life and workability. The purpose of this review is to summarize the recent advances in occupational contact dermatitis as well as potential hazardous agents in the workplaces causing OCD. The review covers new developments in the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, and management of occupational contact dermatitis. This article also provides updated information on the prevalence of work-related skin symptoms and on new contact allergens among working population. It is emphasized that in the context of prevention of OCD, special attention should be focused on the identified high-risk occupational groups, especially healthcare workers and hairdressers starting with the apprentices. Current approaches include working out the standards and guidelines to improve the education, knowledge, diagnosis, and management of OCD based on a multidisciplinary team of medical specialists and an employer.

Wet-work Exposure: A Main Risk Factor for Occupational Hand Dermatitis

Wet-work can be defined as activities where workers have to immerse their hands in liquids for >2 hours per shift, or wear waterproof (occlusive) gloves for a corresponding amount of time, or wash their hands >20 times per shift. This review considers the recent literature on wet-work exposure, and examines wet-work as a main risk factor for developing irritant contact dermatitis of the hands. The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed description of wet-work exposure among specific occupational groups who extensively deal with water and other liquids in their occupations. Furthermore, it highlights the extent and importance of the subsequent adverse health effects caused by exposure to wet-work.