Dermatitis and other skin disorders

Working days lost

The 2001/02 Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI)³ module of the Labour Force Survey is the most recent year for which there were sufficient numbers of sample cases to estimate the number of working days lost due to occupational skin disease. Between an estimated 96,000 and 367,000 full time equivalent working days were lost due to skin disease in 2001/02 (Table TYPESEX3). This compares with 31.8 million days lost due to all self-reported work-related illness in the same year (95% CI: 29.1-34.4 million). The average number of days lost per case was between 3.9 and 12.5 days for skin disease compared with 22.8 days for all self-reported work-related illness (95% CI: 21.1-24.5 days).

Based on reports made during 2006-2008 to theTHOR GP scheme, skin diseases accounted for 2.5% of total days sickness absence certified due to all occupational illnesses. For skin diseases, a sickness certificate was issued in 16.5% of cases and the average length of sickness absence was 3.8 days per case (see Table THORGP01, THORGP02, THORGP03, THORGP04, THORGP05, THORGP06, THORGP07).