P49 Occupational dermatoses of machinists – Finnish statistics

Objective:  In this study the statistical data on occupational dermatoses of Finnish machinists in 1992–2001 were analysed. Methods:  The data were collected from the Finnish Register of Occupational Diseases (FROD) to which physicians are obligated to report all cases of occupational disease. Each case record consists of information on the patient and the employer, date and diagnosis, causative agents, etc. Results:  During the 10-year period, a total of 281 occupational dermatoses of machinists were diagnosed. Dermatoses consisted mostly of irritant contact dermatitis (N = 144), allergic contact dermatitis (N = 108) and unspecified contact dermatitis (N = 21). Only few cases of protein contact dermatitis and contact urticaria as well as occupational acne were reported. The main causes of irritant contact dermatitis were cutting oils and fluids, oils and lubricants, and organic solvents; the commonest inducers of allergic contact dermatitis were formaldehyde, cutting oils and fluids, metals (nickel, chromium and cobalt) and various antimicrobial agents. Conclusion:  Dermatoses were the second commonest occupational diseases of machinists, after hearing loss, and they accounted for 27% of all occupational diseases within the profession. Machinists are a large occupational group (about 19 000 employees; 0.8% of the work force) in Finland, and their dermatoses formed a noteworthy proportion (about 2.6%) of the occupational skin diseases reported during the study period.