DISEASES OF WHITE COLLAR WORKERS.

A PPROXIMATELY 3 percent of all occupationially caused disabilities are attributable to disease. The remainder fall into the category of accidenital injuries. In New York State (1), and presumably in other States as well, about half of all reported occupational diseases were found in blue collar workers or workers engaged in manlufacturing. WIhy then this interest in the occupational diseases of white collar workers? The reasons are simple: Occupationial diseases are largely preventable, anid wlhen they occur they are expensive. The legal definition of an occupational disease varies in each State, depending on the scope of its workmen's compensation law. For the purposes of this study, an occupational disease is definied as a compensable disease that arises out of and in the course of employment. It is any abnormal condition of health due to specific occupational hazard other than trauma. In general, occupational diseases fit into the following categories: dermatoses; diseases due to infectious agents; diseases due to dusts, fumes, gases, vapors, or mists; or diseases due to physical agents. Newly added are aggravation of pre-existing nonoccupational diseases and emotional stress. Many times it is exceedingly difficult to determine whether a specific illness occurred on the job or elsewhere, as, for example, in the household kitchen. This applies particularly to dermatological conditions.