Rank: Forum user 
|
Hi Folks
A number of people in one of our offices are complaining of mild, Eczema-like skin complaints that appear to clear up when they spend time away from the office then flair up again when they return.
Some people are also suffering from Acne which may be unrelated but they say the symptoms are quite recent.
The temperature and humidty in the office seem to be within comfortable levels and I'm not aware of problems with the HVAC systems but I am probably going to bring in an external expert to conduct some monitoring.
Does anyone have any experience of this and can give me some info?
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
Office. Where’s the office? Is it in a factory? Is it stand a lone? Do you produce something near by? Is there anything new that’s been introduced to the office, flowers etc?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
Where on the body is the eczema? If it is on the hands it could be linked to the soap you provide and the hand drying arrangements.
My daughter has eczema on her hands and it is made worse by using certain types of hand washes, her best option is to use a soap free soap, and it then clears completely.
Not drying your hands properly also makes hands more prone to becoming sore and dry.
Also just the time of year can make skin sore and dry, winter conditions and cold outside temperatures and then heated offices will have a drying effect on the skin.
I think James questions are very valid, do you have a process or chemical used or vented nearby that is contaminating the office?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Oh dear! We are asked to propose an answer to a medical condition without first having seen either the condition the workplace. I liken this to me going to my GP as saying: "Doctor, my wife is doubled up at home with a chest pain. How do I treat this?" I would be suspicious of any doctor who then diagnosed and proposed a remedy - other than to get her to a medically qualified person.
Is it really eczema? I have recently seen a diagnosis by a GP of eczema which was not responding to treatment. It was actually psoriasis, requiring a totally different treatment, to which it has now responded. (I hasten to add that I did not diagnose but passed a photograph on to a leading dermatologist who advised and whose advice the GP then followed.)
As has already been asked, where is it? If it is eczema is it irritant, allergic or a combination of the two? Eczema/dermatitis covers a wide range of different conditions and causes. More than one cause may be involved. I have even had a case of latex allergy that turned out to be a purely psychosomatic condition (undifferentiated idiopathic somatoform anaphylaxis according to the leading European expert on psychosomatic dermatitis!).
Investigating a suspected occupational skin condition is rarely as simple as many assume.
Chris
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
Thanks for your responses.
James, the office is on the 1st floor of a 2-tier stand-alone building. The ground floor is a lab. One of the possible factors I'm looking at is transfer of hazardous materials from the lab into the office somehow. The lab is fitted with very good extracts but it may be possible that they are venting into the same space that the office HVAC is drawing air in from, although an initial survey has not identified any potential contaminants. No recent additions such as flowers etc.
Lisa, there doesn't appear to be a common location for the irritation so I don't think it is as easy as the soap unfortunately! In any case, there are 500+ people here in different departments all using the same soap many times a day (we are a sterile manufacturing site) without complaints.
Chris, I'm not asking for a solution to a medical condition, I'm asking if anyone has experience of people suffering from similar symptoms in offices. I didn't say it was eczema, acne, psoriasis or anything else, the visual indicators are similar to eczema and an eczema sufferer has commented that their condition is worse when they are in the office hence the comment. I am just looking for some input from people who'd been involved with similar issues.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Hi Danny,
I know of a university (dare not say where, but not it was not in my locale) where the outlet from some of the fume cupboards was located approximately 1m above and also horizontally away from the HVAC intake. This was a multi storey building. Staff in the offices served by the HVAC occasionally complained of "flu like" symptoms. Eventually HSE was contacted by their Safety Rep, and HSE issued an improvement notice to relocate the outlet from the fume cupboards. (Details are not in the current HSE database) as this occurred some years ago.
PH2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
I did not mean to be critical but factual and counselling caution. Many situations may appear similar but in reality have very different causations.
I could cite a number of eczema like problems in offices similar to that which you describe. The problem is that no two had the same cause!
Investigating a suspected occupational skin problem is actually more complex than many realise. Last December I had to investigate two cases where a diagnosis of occupational allergic contact dermatitis to a substance in the workplace had been made by a well respected dermatology clinic. My site visits identified in both cases that the diagnoses, whilst clinically accurate, were not relevant to the actual workplace exposure. In both cases non-occupational factors were identified. I have also had more than one case where what appeared to be an occupational allergy (in one case anaphylaxis) were actually found to be psychosomatic (in one case diagnosed as undifferentiated idiopathic somatoform anaphylaxis!)
It is why I am always cautious when questions arise as to the causation of what appears to be a work related skin problem.
Chris
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.