Occupational Dermatoses in Some Selected Industries in India

Abstract

Twenty five thousand and fifty employees working in 10 industrial units around Delhi were surveyed between July, 1982 and September, 1983. The industrial units included factories manufacturing tractors, rotating machines, gaskets, leaf spring, footwear, antibiotics and dashboard instruments; units printing cotton and synthetic cloth and books and periodicals; and a copper mine. The chief industrial dermatoses encountered were callositis 108 cases, contact dermatitis 36 cases, traumatic nail dystrophy 14 cases, frictional dermatitis of finger,7tips 10 cases, oil acne 10 cases, stasis dermatitis 3 cases, traumatic leucoderma 2 cases and keloid 2 cases. A total of 146 cases had industrial dermatoses, while 1085 had non- occupational skin disorders. The over-all incidence of occupational dermatoses in these industries was considerably low.