 OCCUPATIONAL DERMATOSES--A PROGRAM FOR PHYSICIANS--NOTE: This document is provided for historical purposes only.
Page last updated: April 17, 2001
Page last reviewed: January 5, 1998 Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
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Electrical burns may show erythema and bullae from the heat of arcing current or may be non-descript with severe internal damage between the points of contact and exit of the current.
Frostbite, especially of the extremities, can be severe, with destruction of the skin and deeper tissues. Degrees of injury are graded according to the depth of tissue damage, similar to thermal burns.
Macerated skin of immersion foot, common among troops in Viet Nam, is also seen among workers wearing water soaked boots for extended periods of time. This variety of immersion foot caused by a species of Corynebacterium produces pitted keratolysis.
Numerous sources of ionizing radiation are encountered in industry. Gamma radiation and x-rays produce acute and chronic radiodermatitis as well as radiation sickness. Typical sequelae of radiation include atrophy, depigmentation, hyperpigmentation and telagiectasia - all visible here.
Squamous cell skin cancer and basal cell skin cancers are common complications of chronic radiodermatitis. Occupations at risk include dentists, industrial radiographers, and x-ray diffraction technicians. These same tumors result from long term solar radiation.