Author Description

Workers from almost every industrial sector and trade routinely experience dermal exposures to chemicals via contact with contaminated surfaces, deposition of aerosols and vapors, and immersion in or splashes from liquids. Such exposures may result in adverse health consequences ranging from direct effects to the skin (e.g., irritant contact dermatitis and corrosion) to systemic effects (e.g., cancers and neurological effects) and to sensitization (e.g., allergic contact dermatitis). Occupational skin diseases have previously been identified as one of the leading causes of occupational illness within the United States workforce with many of the reported skin disorders being associated with chemical exposures. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is dedicated to controlling and preventing workplace hazards including dermal exposures to chemicals. This document, Indexed Dermal Bibliography (1995-2007), is intended to serve as a resource guide for information on dermal issues within the workplace. The Indexed Dermal Bibliography has been structured to accommodate varying levels of technical background or formal training in identifying and controlling harmful skin exposures. The primary topics covered within the Indexed Dermal Bibliography include: (1) an overview of dermal exposures, (2) hazard identification, (3) exposure characterization, (4) health effects surveillance, (5) risk assessment, and (6) risk control management. This resource guide is not designed to be an exhaustive compilation of materials from the dermal exposure literature, but rather a representative list of available dermal exposure resources.