We carried out a follow-up study of employment outcome for 230 workers with a diagnosis of occupational skin disease who were at least 2 years postdiagnosis. Seventy-eight percent of the workers were working, but 57% of those working had changed jobs, 67% because of their skin problem. Thirty-one percent had lost no time from work because of their skin disease, while 35% had lost at least 1 month. Forty-three percent had applied for workers' compensation benefits, and 87% of those who had applied were successful in their claims. Older workers were more likely to be unemployed and to have applied for workers' compensation benefits. Women were less likely to have lost time from work and to have applied for workers' compensation. Those who had changed their jobs tended to have a better outcome with respect to active dermatitis, though they had lost more time from work and had more often applied for workers' compensation benefits.
Fifty-three hog confinement farmers and 43 control farmers were studied. Pulmonary function, total and respirable personal dust levels, and responses to a health status questionnaire were obtained for all farmers. The hog farmers' total and respirable personal dust exposures were significantly higher than the respective levels of the control farmers. Higher dust levels were associated with the use of floor (scatter) feeding, indoor feed grinding, and the use of high moisture corn feed. Pork producers reported respiratory symptoms significantly more often than controls. Lung function did not differ between the two groups of farmers, nor could dust exposure levels be related to lung function.
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