Premium
Epoxy‐based production of wind turbine rotor blades: occupational dermatoses
Author(s) -
Pontén A.,
Carstensen O.,
Rasmussen K.,
Gruvberger B.,
Isaksson M.,
Bruze M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
contact dermatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0536
pISSN - 0105-1873
DOI - 10.1111/j.0105-1873.2004.00346.x
Subject(s) - medicine , contact dermatitis , irritant contact dermatitis , patch test , dermatology , contact allergy , allergic contact dermatitis , allergy , occupational dermatitis , occupational medicine , patch testing , occupational disease , occupational exposure , immunology , pathology , environmental health
Occupational dermatoses were investigated in a factory producing rotor blades for wind turbines by an epoxy‐based process. In a blinded study design, 603 workers were first interviewed and thereafter clinically examined. Based on a history of work‐related skin disease, clinical findings of dermatitis, or both, 325 (53.9%) of the workers were patch tested with a specially profiled occupational patch‐test series and the European standard patch‐test series. Calculated on all investigated workers, 17.1% of the workers were diagnosed with occupational dermatoses caused by work. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis was found in 10.9% of the workers. The estimated frequency of irritant contact dermatitis caused by work was 6.1%. Dermatitis on the hands was associated with contact allergy to epoxy resin ( P = 0.017). The number of days on leave before the clinical examination was negatively associated with the presence of dermatitis ( P = 0.001). Among workers employed 7–12 months, the frequency of occupational contact allergy was higher than that among workers employed for ≤6 months ( P = 0.004). Females both washed their hands more often ( P < 0.001) and used more moisturizers/protection creams at work ( P < 0.001) than males. No sex differences were found concerning dermatitis on the hands.