Occupational skin diseases (OSD) are common and costly. They represent the second most common type of occupational illness and include irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, skin cancers and skin infections. Just one OSD — contact dermatitis – has estimated annual costs of more than $1 billion. Plus, health problems caused by toxins absorbed through the skin can be more than skin deep; dermal exposure to hazardous agents can enter the blood stream and affect other parts of the body.1

Despite this, efforts to minimize workers’ exposure to toxins have long focused mainly on the inhalation route. Fortunately, NIOSH has developed a hierarchy of controls to reduce dermal exposure.