Carpenters

Abstract

Occupational dermatoses are rare in carpenters (3.66 per 10,000 working years in Finland; 7.4 per 100,000 in the UK). Rough-surfaced timber, soap and detergents, sawdust, mineral wool, wet cement, and organic solvents or oils are the main irritant hazards for the skin. Callosities in the areas compressed by hand tools, small abrasions, cuts, and stinging wounds are the most common skin lesions in the hands. Sawdust deriving from tropical hardwood can elicit both irritant contact urticaria and irritant contact dermatitis. Chromate (incidence rate of 0.43 cases per 10,000 working years in Finland), and epoxy resins, rubber chemicals, and formaldehyde are the most relevant contact allergens for carpenters. Vacuum installations are crucial to provide a minimized dust exposure at the workplaces. Carpenters are outdoor workers. Therefore, high sun exposure must be considered as a hazard for developing nonmelanoma skin cancer.