Common occupationally related allergens include rubber accelerators, preservatives, and bisphenol A epoxy resin, and the occupations most commonly affected by occupational skin disease are service workers and machine operators, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology .

Joel G. DeKoven, M.D., from the University of Toronto, and colleagues analyzed the frequency of allergic reactions to a screening series of allergens among 38,614 North American patients undergoing patch testing between 2001 and 2016.

The researchers found that 11.6 percent of the participants had occupational skin disease; 70.5 percent of those had allergic contact dermatitis. Rubber accelerators, preservatives, and bisphenol A epoxy resin were included as the most common occupationally related allergens. The most common sites of dermatitis were hands, arms, and face (75.8, 30.0, and 15.9 percent, respectively). Service workers and machine operators were the occupations most affected.

"Important occupational allergens included rubber accelerators, bisphenol A epoxy resin, methylisothiazolinone, formaldehyde, and nickel," the authors write. "Knowledge of common occupational allergens, sources of exposure, and occupations/industries at risk is important to facilitate prevention and treatment."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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