Skip to main content
PMC home page
Occupational and Environmental Medicine logoLink to Occupational and Environmental Medicine
. 2002 Aug;59(8):556–561. doi: 10.1136/oem.59.8.556

Prevention of work related skin problems: an intervention study in wet work employees

E Held 1, K Mygind 1, C Wolff 1, F Gyntelberg 1, T Agner 1
PMCID: PMC1740341  PMID: 12151613

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the effect of implementation of an evidence based skin care programme for wet work employees as part of an occupational health and safety management system.

Methods: 375 wet work employees were included in a prospective randomised controlled trial, allocated to either intervention (n = 207) or control (n = 168). The intervention group was exposed to a skin care programme during the five month study period. The intervention included an educational programme for a group of frontline employees, who underwent formalised training, and subsequently introduced the information to their colleagues. As part of the intervention a skin care policy including written instructions was established at each workplace. Both groups answered a test quiz, completed questionnaires on behaviour and symptoms, and underwent clinical examination of their hands before and after the five month period.

Results: No difference between the intervention and the control group was found at baseline with respect to clinical symptoms or behaviour. Evaluation after the five months of intervention revealed a significantly higher information level on skin care in the intervention group compared to the control group, a significant change in behaviour in the intervention group but not in the control group, and significantly less skin symptoms as evaluated clinically in the intervention group but not in the control group. No significant difference was found for self reported skin problems.

Conclusions: The intervention was successful with respect to information level (knowledge), behaviour, and clinical symptoms. Implementation of a skin care programme as part of an occupational health and safety management system is recommended as a prophylactic measure for employees in wet occupations.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (139.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bohr P. C., Evanoff B. A., Wolf L. D. Implementing participatory ergonomics teams among health care workers. Am J Ind Med. 1997 Sep;32(3):190–196. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199709)32:3<190::aid-ajim2>3.0.co;2-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cherry N., Meyer J. D., Adisesh A., Brooke R., Owen-Smith V., Swales C., Beck M. H. Surveillance of occupational skin disease: EPIDERM and OPRA. Br J Dermatol. 2000 Jun;142(6):1128–1134. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2000.03537.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Diepgen T. L., Coenraads P. J. The epidemiology of occupational contact dermatitis. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1999 Nov;72(8):496–506. doi: 10.1007/s004200050407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Douglas E., Rushton L., Williams H. C. Is occupational dermatitis being taken seriously by UK industries? Occup Med (Lond) 1999 Feb;49(2):85–91. doi: 10.1093/occmed/49.2.85. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Evanoff B. A., Bohr P. C., Wolf L. D. Effects of a participatory ergonomics team among hospital orderlies. Am J Ind Med. 1999 Apr;35(4):358–365. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199904)35:4<358::aid-ajim6>3.0.co;2-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ford J. K., Fisher S. The transfer of safety training in work organizations: a systems perspective to continuous learning. Occup Med. 1994 Apr-Jun;9(2):241–259. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Halkier-Sørensen L. Occupational skin diseases. Contact Dermatitis. 1996;35(1 Suppl):1–120. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Held E., Wolff C., Gyntelberg F., Agner T. Prevention of work-related skin problems in student auxiliary nurses: an intervention study. Contact Dermatitis. 2001 May;44(5):297–303. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0536.2001.440509.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kuritz S. J., Landis J. R., Koch G. G. A general overview of Mantel-Haenszel methods: applications and recent developments. Annu Rev Public Health. 1988;9:123–160. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pu.09.050188.001011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Leino-Arjas P., Liira J., Mutanen P., Malmivaara A., Matikainen E. Predictors and consequences of unemployment among construction workers: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 1999 Sep 4;319(7210):600–605. doi: 10.1136/bmj.319.7210.600. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Meding B. Epidemiology of hand eczema in an industrial city. Acta Derm Venereol Suppl (Stockh) 1990;153:1–43. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Menné T., Borgan O., Green A. Nickel allergy and hand dermatitis in a stratified sample of the Danish female population: an epidemiological study including a statistic appendix. Acta Derm Venereol. 1982;62(1):35–41. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nilsson E., Mikaelsson B., Andersson S. Atopy, occupation and domestic work as risk factors for hand eczema in hospital workers. Contact Dermatitis. 1985 Oct;13(4):216–223. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.1985.tb02553.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ramsing D. W., Agner T. Effect of glove occlusion on human skin (II). Long-term experimental exposure. Contact Dermatitis. 1996 Apr;34(4):258–262. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.1996.tb02196.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Ramsing D. W., Agner T. Preventive and therapeutic effects of a moisturizer. An experimental study of human skin. Acta Derm Venereol. 1997 Sep;77(5):335–337. doi: 10.2340/0001555577335337. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rystedt I. Hand eczema and long-term prognosis in atopic dermatitis. Acta Derm Venereol Suppl (Stockh) 1985;117:1–59. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Yngveson M., Svensson A., Isacsson A. Evaluation of a self-reported questionnaire on hand dermatosis in secondary school children. Acta Derm Venereol. 1997 Nov;77(6):455–457. doi: 10.2340/0001555577455457. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Occupational and Environmental Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES