Compensation for Occupational Skin Diseases

Abstract

The Korean list of occupational skin diseases was amended in July 2013. The past list was constructed according to the causative agent and the target organ, and the items of that list had not been reviewed for a long period. The revised list was reconstructed to include diseases classified by the International Classification of Diseases (10th version). Therefore, the items of compensable occupational skin diseases in the amended list in Korea comprise contact dermatitis; chemical burns; Stevens-Johnson syndrome; tar-related skin diseases; infectious skin diseases; skin injury-induced cellulitis; and skin conditions resulting from physical factors such as heat, cold, sun exposure, and ionized radiation. This list will be more practical and convenient for physicians and workers because it follows a disease-based approach. The revised list is in accordance with the International Labor Organization list and is refined according to Korean worker's compensation and the actual occurrence of occupational skin diseases. However, this revised list does not perfectly reflect the actual status of skin diseases because of the few cases of occupational skin diseases, incomplete statistics of skin diseases, and insufficient scientific evidence. Thus, the list of occupational diseases should be modified periodically on the basis of recent evidence and statistics.Graphical Abstract

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Occupational Skin Disease in Korean Workers from the 2014 Korean Working Conditions Survey

“…Because workers rarely seek medical consultations or pursue compensation schemes and believe that OSD is a transient, rather than serious and life-threatening, condition, interest in OSD among occupational physicians, allergists, and dermatologists is low due to the difficulty in diagnosing patients in a timely manner. Based on the official statistics of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance in Korea, 179 individuals (approximately 0.19 per 100000 workers) presented with OSDs between 2006 and 2012 11. Epidemiological surveys have been conducted on specific occupational groups, such as automobile factory, metal handling, and health care workers, and some cases are reported in scientific publications 121314151617.…”