Skin Problems among Fiber-Glass Reinforced Plastics Factory Workers in Japan

• Published in: Industrial Health Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 42 - 50
• Main Authors: MINAMOTO, Keiko, NAGANO, Megumi, INAOKA, Tsukasa, KITANO, Takao, USHIJIMA, Kayo, FUKUDA, Yoshiharu, FUTATSUKA, Makoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 2002
• Subjects: Allergic diseases; Case-Control Studies; Contact dermatitis; Data Collection; dermatitis; Dermatitis, Occupational - epidemiology; Dermatitis, Occupational - etiology; Dermatitis, Occupational - prevention & control; factories; Female; Fiber-glass reinforced plastics; Glass; Glass fiber dermatitis; Humans; Japan; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Occupational dermotoses; Occupational period; Plastics - adverse effects; reinforced plastics; Seasons; Time Factors; Japan
• ISSN: 0019-8366; 1880-8026
• DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.40.42

Two surveys, one in winter the other in summer time, examined the skin problems of the entire manual workers (N=148) from 11 small-to-medium sized fiber-glass reinforced plastics (FRP) factories located in Kyushu, Japan. The workers were exposed to unsaturated polyester resin, including styrene and auxiliary agents such as cobalt naphthenate, hardeners such as methyl ethyl ketone peroxides, glass fiber and dust including shortened glass fiber and plastic particles. Eightyseven workers (58.8%) reported having skin problems (mainly itching or dermatitis) since they started to work in FRP manufacturing and 25 workers had consulted a physician because of their skin problems; one worker was forced to take sick leave because of his severe dermatitis. History of allergic diseases and shorter occupational period (duration of employment) in a FRP factory were associated with greater probability of having a history of work-related skin symptoms. Workers in factories where dust-generating and lamination sites were located in different buildings were significantly less likely to have a history of skin problems than those in factories where the two sites were located in the same building. Of the 67 workers examined in both seasons closed to double the prevalence of dermatitis was found in summer (23.3%) than winter (13.4%).