Introduction
Occupational risks
Causes
Associated skin conditons
Workplace risk assessment
Personal protective equipment
Recommended skincare
Treatment
Those employed in the printing industry are considered to be at high risk for dermatological conditions. In the United Kingdom (UK), for instance, where printing is a major employer with over 170,000 workers in 12,000 different companies operating in this sector, the incidence of skin conditions range from 75–85 cases out of every 10,000 employees. The numbers may be greater than this, as it is believed that this problem is under-reported.
Printer workers are at particular risk of contact dermatitis, particularly on their fingertips, between their fingers and on the backs of the hands, as well as the wrists, forearms and elbows. This risk comes from exposing these body parts to the many chemicals involved in printmaking, including:
Particular processes within the printmaking industry also put workers at risk of contact dermatitis, including:
The skin — made up of protective layers of epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue — acts as a barrier against pathogens like viruses, bacteria and fungi, and against irritants and contact allergens. Exposure to such agents and mechanical injuries like cuts can compromise this barrier. Occupational skin disease is considered to account for nearly 50% of all occupational illnesses — and is responsible for around 25% of missed work days across various industries, including the printing sector.
The main skin conditions arising in workers engaged in the printing industry are contact dermatitis and contact urticaria.
Contact dermatitis is common among printmakers.
Contact urticaria is less common than contact dermatitis.
Workplace assessments should be thorough and lead to measures which:
Appropriate gloves, hand creams and protective clothing are recommended as personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers in the printing industry. However, one study from the Health and Safety Executive in the UK found that there are several factors which make these less effective: gloves were often not used even though employers provided free access to such PPE, and they not used properly even when they were worn. The use of hand creams was deemed to be not “masculine” by male employees and in general, skin health and protection was found to be considered unimportant among employees in general.
Recommendations include:
Treatment of occupational skin disease may include:
