The skin is the body’s largest organ, covering the entire human body surface.
The skin consists of three layers—the epidermis (top), dermis (middle), and hypodermis (bottom), all performing different functions.
The skin's structure serves as the body's initial barrier and provides us with protection against germs, pathogens, ultraviolet (UV) light, chemicals, and injury.
The skin also regulates temperature, with the nerves in the skin enabling us to feel hot, cold and touch sensations.
Work-related skin conditions
Work-related skin conditions are very common but preventable.
There are a range of occupations which may expose you to a risk of developing skin conditions including (whilst not exhaustive):
agriculture
catering
cleaning
construction
engineering
hairdressing
health services
manufacturing
motor vehicle repair
metal machining
pharmaceutical
printing
welding
Generally, work-related skin conditions can be caused, or made worse, due to:
exposure to or contact with substances - for example, chemicals
exposure to radiation sources - for example, UV rays when working outdoors in the sun - (welders' skin and eyes can also be exposed to UV)
prolonged or frequent bodily contact with water - for example, having wet hands for long periods and possibly in combination with soaps or detergents
Dermatitis
One of the most common skin conditions is dermatitis (which includes eczema).
Dermatitis can occur when there is skin contact with something that causes skin irritation or an allergic reaction, usually through touching the skin, but not always.
There are two main types of dermatitis:
irritant contact dermatitis - this may occur quickly after contact with a strong irritant or after longer or repeated exposure with weaker irritants - these irritants may be chemical, biological, mechanical or physical, for example, solvents, oils, wet works, soaps, dusts, acids, wet cement
allergic contact dermatitis - this occurs after developing an allergy to a substance, for example, hair dyes, adhesives, inks, flour, shellfish, wood dust - skin contact may lead to “sensitisation” which is likely to be permanent
Symptoms/signs of dermatitis of the skin may include:
pain
itching
redness
scaling / flaking
blistering
cracking
swelling
In some cases, sufferers of dermatitis are unable to carry on at work due to the severe signs and symptoms they experience because of this condition.
Further information on at risk occupations and causative agents can be found on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE (GB)) website using the following link:
Urticaria can also occur when there is skin contact with something that causes skin irritation or an allergic reaction, although its effects differ from those of dermatitis.
Urticaria generally occurs quite quickly following skin contact however disappears within hours.
Contact urticaria is commonly caused by skin contact with latex protein (in single-use latex gloves), certain foods (potatoes, fish, meat), and the cold/heat.
Typically, a person with contact urticaria will see a wheal (swelling) and flare (red mark) reaction on the affected skin.
Other symptoms of contact urticaria can include itching, tingling, and burning of the skin.
Further information on at risk occupations and causative agents can be found on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE (GB)) website using the following link:
According to the Public Health Agency, skin cancer remains the most common cancer in Northern Ireland, with sunlight and sunbeds being recognised as the main ultra-violet radiation (UVR) sources.
Most skin cancers are generally not work-related, however there are well-recognised causes for those that are linked with occupation.
Common causes of work-related skin cancers involve worker exposure to:
chemicals (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAs) found in coal tar, pitch and unrefined mineral oils)
ionising radiation (from radioactive substances and X-rays)
ultraviolet (UV) light from natural sunlight (whilst not exclusively work-related, it is significant for outdoor workers)
ultraviolet light from sunbeds (risk for sunbed operators and their employees) - HSE (GB) website provides further guidance on sunbeds
Welding arcs and flames also emit intense visible, ultraviolet, and infrared radiation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that ultraviolet emissions from welding are carcinogenic to humans (Group 1 classification). For further information, please see the following link:
a patch of skin which bleeds, oozes or has a crust
Further information on at risk occupations and causative agents can be found on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE (GB)) website using the following link:
There are three key steps to reduce the risk of developing work-related skin conditions:
avoid direct contact between unprotected hands and substances and avoid wet work if possible - remove or substitute substances, change working mechanisms, introduce controls
protect the skin - wash the skin to remove contamination, use mild skin cleaning cream or pre-work creams, use cotton or disposable towels to dry hands thoroughly, use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, moisturise
check hands for itchy, dry or red skin - seek advice/treatment as appropriate from a GP if you have any skin change concerns
Outdoor working - risk from sun exposure
Risk factors
Anyone can develop skin cancer, whatever their natural skin type. However, certain skin types are more at risk from the effects of UV radiation than others.
Extra care is needed if you have fair or freckled skin (skin which doesn't tan or goes red), red or fair hair, light-coloured eyes, or a large number of moles.
It is important to remember that a tan is a sign that the skin has been damaged through exposure to UV rays from natural sunlight. Over exposure to UV light can cause skin damage leading to cancer.
There is a perception that people experience ‘wind burn’ on cloudy days, however this is incorrect. The skin burn is caused by UV rays filtering through the cloud cover causing sunburn.
It is estimated that outdoor workers can have up to five to ten times more sun exposure than indoors workers and are at increased risk of developing skin cancer.
Please see the following link to the ‘Care in the Sun’ website for further information:
Skin protection from sun exposure when working outdoors
The main steps to take when working outdoors are:
be UV aware
keep your top on
wear a hat which protects the head, ears and back of the neck
stay in the shade where possible (particularly at breaks / lunchtime)
use high factor sunscreen on exposed skin (at least SPF 30 and 4 or 5 star rating)
wear sunglasses, with UVA and UVB protection - look for 100% UV protection, the CE kite mark, the UV 400 label and the relevant EN standard.
drink water to avoid dehydration
check skin regularly - consult your GP if you notice any changes to moles, for example a change of shape, size or colour
How to be UV Aware
HSENI continues to work with its partners in the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus NI as part of the Northern Ireland Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy Implementation Group to remind everyone to 'Be UV Aware' and to take ‘Care in the Sun’ according to the level of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
In Northern Ireland exposure to significant levels of UV radiation occurs between March and October, even on cool or cloudy days with the sun’s UV rays being particularly strong around the middle of the day, from 11am to 3pm.
The Solar UV Index shows how much UV radiation there is each day and how much care needs to be taken. UV levels vary with the seasons and time of day, but when the UV index is three or more, protection of skin and eyes is needed.
It is therefore important to know what the UV index is throughout the day. You can check the weather forecast including UV index for any location using the following Met Office website link:
It is important to remember that how often you apply and how much sunscreen you apply will affect how well it protects you.
Please refer to the link below which features two informative videos on the ‘Care in the Sun’ website relating to “choosing a sunscreen” and “how to apply sunscreen”:
Health surveillance means regularly looking for early signs of work-related ill health and putting procedures in place to achieve this.
The purpose of health surveillance is to monitor and protect the health of individual employees.
Collecting simple information may lead to early detection of ill health caused by work and identify the need for improved control measures.
Your risk assessment should identify any need for health surveillance which should not be confused with general health screening or health promotion.
Health surveillance for work-related skin conditions may be considered as appropriate in situations where:
employees are liable to be exposed to substances known to be associated with an identifiable disease or an adverse health effect, for example, agents which can cause skin sensitisation (allergic contact dermatitis) or urticaria
• there have been previous cases of work-related skin conditions in the workplace, or industry evidence of skin disease, for example, healthcare workers experiencing dermatitis due to frequent or prolonged contact with water ('wet-working')
personal protective equipment (PPE) is relied upon as an exposure control measure, for example, employees wearing of gloves or overalls when handling chemicals or solvents - it should be recognised that PPE cannot be guaranteed to always be effective, even with the closest supervision
employees are liable to be exposed to hexavalent chromium compounds, for example, mists arising from chrome plating baths causing chrome ulcers in platers
Please note this list is not definitive or exhaustive and there will be many other circumstances where health surveillance is required.
Further information on health surveillance for work-related skin conditions can be found on HSE (GB) website using the following link:
Please note that these links are to the original legislation, visitors should verify for themselves whether legislation is in force or whether it has been amended or repealed by subsequent legislation.
