Industrial Dermatitis Claims
Industrial dermatitis, also known as eczema, is a common work-related skin disease caused by exposure to a number of substances, and can include frequent contact with water. The condition causes skin inflammation and irritation. If you develop dermatitis or eczema later in life, or if your condition significantly worsens, there is a chance it could be caused by your working conditions.
Exposure to certain materials, such as latex, can also lead to hypersensitivity or an allergy to the substance, and cause painful skin conditions. Sometimes, reactions can be so severe that a worker suffers anaphylactic shock and dies.
How to protect yourself from skin disease at work
Your employer has a duty of care towards employees and is expected to take steps to minimise the risk of its employees developing a skin disease. Before asking you to work with a product or in a particular way, or exposing you to working with a new product, your employer should evaluate whether an alternative or a safer substance could be used. If this is not possible, they should ensure you have minimal contact with the substance, for example by introducing splash guards or extractors.
You should also be provided with protective clothing to wear, such as gloves or overalls, to prevent the substance coming into contact with your skin. It is your responsibility as an employee to wear the clothing at all times and protect yourself.
If you have developed a skin disease as a result of your workplace conditions, Thompsons Solicitors’ industrial disease team can help you make a claim for skin disease compensation. For more information on making a claim, contact us on 0800 0224 224, fill out our online form or request a call back.
After my claim, my employers changed their procedures so that staff are now adequately protected when dealing with hazardous chemicals.
Graham our skin disease client
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