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Occupational skin disease in Finland An analysis of 10 years of statistics from an occupational dermatology clinic

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Summary

An analysis of 10 years (1974–1983) of statistics was carried out at the Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Section of Dermatology, which is devoted to occupational dermatology. A total of 1,082 cases of occupational skin diseases were diagnosed during this period. Allergic (50.1%) and toxic eczema (47.1%) comprised the majority of occupational cases of dermatosis. The most frequent causes of allergic occupational eczemas were rubber chemicals (19.9%), chromates (18.8%), and epoxy resins (13.1%). If the metals (chromium, nickel and cobalt) were considered as a group, they formed the largest category (28.4%), followed by the plastic materials (27.7%). Detergents (37.8%), followed by organic solvents (16.1%), were responsible for most of the irritant (toxic) eczemas. Occupational skin diseases currently make up about 20% of all occupational diseases in Finland, but the percentage is decreasing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Dermatology, Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, SF-00250, Helsinki, Finland

    Lasse Kanerva, Tuula Estlander & Riitta Jolanki

Authors
  1. Lasse Kanerva
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  2. Tuula Estlander
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  3. Riitta Jolanki
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Kanerva, L., Estlander, T. & Jolanki, R. Occupational skin disease in Finland An analysis of 10 years of statistics from an occupational dermatology clinic. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 60, 89–94 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381486

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381486

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