A review of non-glove personal protective equipment-related occupational dermatoses reported to EPIDERM between 1993 and 2013

Abstract

Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is defined as equipment that protects the wearer's body against health/safety risks at work. Gloves cause many dermatoses. Non-glove PPE constitutes a wide array of garments. Dermatoses resulting from these have hitherto not been documented.

Objectives: To determine the incidence and types of non-glove PPE-related dermatoses.

Patients/methods: We analysed incident case reports from dermatologists of non-glove PPE-related dermatoses to a UK-wide surveillance scheme (EPIDERM) between 1993 and 2013.

Results: The dermatoses associated with non-glove PPE accounted for 0.84% of all occupational skin disease. Of all PPE-related cases, 194 (9.2%) were attributable to non-glove PPE. Of these, 132 (68.0%) occurred in men, and the median age (both male and female) was 42 years (range 18-82 years). The non-glove PPE-related dermatoses were diagnosed as: allergic contact dermatitis (47.4%), irritant contact dermatitis (16.0%), friction (11.3%), occlusion (11.3%), unspecified dermatitis (8.8%), acne (3.1%), infections (1.5), and contact urticaria (0.52%). The industries most associated with non-glove PPE-related dermatoses were manufacturing (18.6%), public administration and defence (17.0%), health and social work (15.5%), and transport, storage, and communication (9.8%).

Conclusions: Clothing, footwear, facemasks and headgear need to be recognized as causes of dermatoses occurring at body sites less commonly associated with occupational skin disease.

Keywords: acne; allergen; allergic contact dermatitis; friction; infection; irritant contact dermatitis; occlusion; personal protective equipment.