Abstract
Chronic hand eczema (CHE) is common and imposes a considerable personal and public burden in some professions, including the janitorial and related industries. In most countries, this job is not a recognized occupation requiring formal training. Persons may have simply learned a trade. Working in the janitorial industry requires physical fitness, manual skills, and the ability to communicate. This professional branch contains duties such as taking care and maintenance of, for example, schools, residential areas, and hospitals. Cleaning is frequently also included. Security duties may also be carried out. A person in the janitorial industry is frequently exposed to wet work. There is also contact with skin-irritating substances, such as cleansers, detergents, cement, and lubricating grease, and contact with tools for the conduction of some smaller repair work (e.g., changing bulbs, repair of drainage, electric and water meters). Wearing gloves is frequently necessary. This chapter summarizes the characteristics of CHE with regard to the janitorial and related industries.
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Weisshaar, E., Diepgen, T.L. (2014). Hand Eczema in Janitorial and Related Industries. In: Alikhan, A., Lachapelle, JM., Maibach, H. (eds) Textbook of Hand Eczema. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39546-8_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39546-8_21
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