The Survey of Occupational Dermatoses in a Semiconductor Industry(II) (1996.6 - 2000.5)

Park, Tae Ho; Jeong, Yoo Seok; Yoo, Jae Hak; Kim, Kea Jeung

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Occupational dermatoses are the most prevalent of all occupational diseases. Over the past few decades, the incidence of occupational dermatoses in Korea is increasing with rapid growth in industry. However, there have been only a few reports about occupational dermatoses in Korean dermatologic literature. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to study the prevalence of occupational dermatoses in a semiconductor industry and to compare these with previous reports. METHODS: A dermatologist attended regularly at the clinic in a semiconductor industry once a week from June 1995 to May 2000. 4, 985 workers diagnosed with skin disease were analyzed. RESULTS: The results can be summarized as follows: Annual incidences are 6.5%(1995.6-1996.5), 5.3%(1996.6-1997.5), 5.2%(1997.6-1998.5), 5.7%(1998.6-1999.5), 5.8%(1999.6-2000.5) and average incidence is 5.7%. In the distribution of dermatoses as disease groups, eczema(28.8%), fungal infection(19.2%), disease of skin appendage(17.6%), erythema, urticaria and drug eruption(9.4%), viral infection(4.9%), constituted 79.9% of the total. Ten most common dermatoses include contact dermatitis(13.1%), acne(12.5%), tinea pedis(11.2%), urticaria(7.5%), hand eczema(6.6%), seborrheic dermatitis(6.2%), onychomycosis(3.0%), alopecia(2.9%), tinea cruris(1.7%) and lichen simplex chronicus(1.6%). Diseases which shows high seasonal distribution in summer are contact dermatitis, tinea pedis, urticaria, tinea cruris. Contact dermatitis(1.7%), acne(1.6%), chemical burn(1.3%) and hand eczema(1.1%) were the most important occupational dermatoses in this survey. The occupational contact dermatitis and acne mainly came from the mask, hood and dust preventing clothes which the workers must wear for 8 hours a day at their work place. Hydrofluoric acid(1.0%) was the main cause of chemical burn. Hand eczema was primarily due to kitchen work, cleaning work and gloves. The other dermatoses related to occupation were trauma, seborrheic dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, xerosis cutis, urticaria, etc. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing these results about occupational dermatoses with previous report (1992.6-1995.5) in a semiconductor industry before, there was relatively low incidence of hydrofluoric acid burn and high incidence of contact dermatitis, acne and hand eczema.