According to a recent study, a large number of hairdressers do not claim workers compensation for occupational contact dermatitis.
Past research suggests occupational contact dermatitis is more common in women than men.
Occupational contact dermatitis is one of the most common work-related diseases in the developed world and is caused by a range of workplace exposures such as frequent hand-washing or exposure to irritating or allergic substances.
Conducted by Dr Tessa Keegel from Monash University and doctors Georgina Lyons and Rosemary Nixon from the Skin and Cancer Foundation, the study compared diagnosed disease data for occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers from 1993 to 2009 in Victoria, Australia.
“Over a 17 year period 157 hairdressers and hairdressing apprentices were diagnosed with occupational contact dermatitis. During this same time period, data from Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) showed only 46 worker compensation claims for occupational contact dermatitis, less than one third of diagnosed cases,” Dr Keegel says.
“Skin problems are high in young hairdressers suggesting that many are unaware of and ill-equipped to manage them. Hairdressers may accept dermatitis as part of the job, be unaware their compensation entitlements or be put off by paperwork.”
“Increased efforts are needed to reduce the incidence of occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers, particularly young workers, and to ensure that hairdressers with occupational contact dermatitis are aware of their entitlements,” Dr Keegel says.
For more information on Monash University’s study visit www.monash.edu.au