HSE estimates 18,000 people who worked in the previous year had a self-reported work-related skin problem, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25. The estimate covers Great Britain and skin problems more broadly than diagnosed dermatitis.
Occupational contact dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition caused or aggravated by workplace exposure, including soaps, cleaning products, wet work and other irritants or allergens. This guide separates HSE survey estimates, THOR/EPIDERM specialist reporting and IIDB assessments. They describe different populations and cannot be added together.
Key facts and figures
- 18,000 people with a self-reported work-related skin problem among those who worked in the previous year, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25.
- 6,000 new self-reported work-related skin problems a year, averaged over 2020/21–2024/25.
- 94% of estimated new specialist-reported skin diagnoses in 2024 were contact dermatitis: 246 of 262.
- 246 estimated new contact dermatitis diagnoses in 2024 from THOR/EPIDERM specialist reporting.
- 15% of specialist-reported contact dermatitis cases in 2020–2024 were in nurses.
- 111 estimated diagnoses a year named soaps or cleaners, averaged over 2020–2024; cases can name several agents.
- 5 new IIDB dermatitis assessments in 2024, a separate measure from survey or specialist cases.
- 6.9% a year — the average annual fall in metal-related occupational contact dermatitis between 1996 and 2019.
Checked on 15 October 2026 against HSE’s 2025 statistical release. The latest specialist and benefit figures relate to 2024, while survey estimates use multi-year averages. The metal-related trend is a dated historical study.
How many people have occupational dermatitis in the UK?
HSE’s Labour Force Survey estimate is 18,000 people with self-reported work-related skin problems among those who worked in the previous year, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25 (95% confidence interval 9,000–26,000). Estimated new cases averaged 6,000 a year over 2020/21–2024/25 (3,000–9,000). These are Great Britain estimates of skin problems, not counts of medically diagnosed dermatitis.
Survey estimates are subject to sampling uncertainty and rely on respondents’ attribution to work. Specialist surveillance depends on referral and voluntary reporting and misses cases outside those pathways. HSE uses these sources together to describe the burden, while warning against interpreting any one measure as a complete count.
| Measure | Figure | Data period |
|---|---|---|
| Self-reported work-related skin problems, worked in previous year | 18,000 | 2022/23–2024/25 average, Great Britain |
| New self-reported skin problems caused or made worse by work | 6,000 a year | 2020/21–2024/25 average, Great Britain |
| New contact dermatitis cases diagnosed by dermatologists | 246 | 2024, THOR/EPIDERM estimate |
| All new specialist-reported skin diagnoses | 262 | 2024, THOR/EPIDERM estimate |
| Contact dermatitis share of specialist-reported skin disease | 94% (246 of 262) | 2024, calculated from HSE counts |
| Nurses’ share of specialist-reported dermatitis | 15% | 2020–2024 |
| New dermatitis assessments for IIDB | 5 | 2024 |
What counts as occupational dermatitis?
THOR/EPIDERM estimated 262 new work-related skin diagnoses in 2024, including 246 contact dermatitis diagnoses: about 94%. In 2019 the corresponding figures were 1,019 diagnoses and 876 contact dermatitis diagnoses, about 86%. Diagnosis totals can differ from numbers of individuals, and the decline in reporting must not be treated as a directly measured fall in all disease.
Irritant contact dermatitis results from damage to the skin, for example from repeated wet work, detergents or solvents. Allergic contact dermatitis involves sensitisation to a substance. In HSE’s 2020–2024 specialist data, allergic and irritant mechanisms were each recorded in about 48% of contact dermatitis cases. Some cases have more than one mechanism, so the categories are not mutually exclusive.
What is the incidence of occupational skin disease?
The latest HSE report gives an estimated 6,000 new self-reported work-related skin problems a year over 2020/21–2024/25. This broader survey estimate is distinct from the 246 new contact dermatitis diagnoses estimated from specialist reports in 2024. The sources use different definitions, coverage and methods; neither should be presented as a precise population incidence rate for diagnosed dermatitis.
Specialist estimates were 246 new contact dermatitis diagnoses in 2024 and 324 in 2023. The scheme includes sampling adjustments but cannot capture all cases. HSE notes that changing participation, reporting fatigue and pandemic disruption affect comparisons, particularly with the much larger pre-2020 totals.
What causes occupational dermatitis at work?
HSE identifies soaps and cleaners and wet work as the most commonly reported agent types. THORS06 estimates annual averages of 111 diagnoses naming soaps or cleaners and 81 naming wet work over 2020–2024. These counts overlap: a single case can be attributed to several agents.
The table shows selected frequently reported agents in all contact dermatitis, rather than percentages of allergic cases. Figures are estimated annual averages for 2020–2024 and should not be added together as a count of affected people.
| Causative agent | Estimated diagnoses a year, 2020–2024 |
|---|---|
| Soaps and cleaners | 111 |
| Wet work | 81 |
| Personal protective equipment | 74 |
| Bleaches and sterilising agents | 50 |
| Rubber chemicals and materials | 49 |
| Resins and acrylics | 32 |
| Preservatives | 30 |
Assess skin exposure under COSHH, including prolonged or frequent wet work and substances without a hazard pictogram. Consult product information, but do not treat a safety data sheet as a complete task assessment. Some agents in the table overlap, including PPE and its constituent rubber chemicals.
Which jobs have the highest rates of dermatitis?
Nurses accounted for 15% of specialist-reported dermatitis cases in 2020–2024, compared with 12% in 2010–2019. Human health and social work accounted for about 34% of cases in 2020–2024. These are shares of reported cases, not the proportion of all nurses or care workers who develop dermatitis.
Hairdressing, beauty, cleaning, catering, construction and metalworking can involve skin hazards. A historical THOR study of metal-related dermatitis in 1996–2019 found that 59% of cases were women and the mean age was 38; hairdressing and sales or retail featured prominently. This case mix should not be used as a current national occupation ranking.
Is occupational dermatitis rising or falling?
Metal-related occupational contact dermatitis fell by an average of 6.9% a year between 1996 and 2019, according to a British Journal of Dermatology analysis of THOR surveillance data published in 2024. Nickel-attributed cases declined by 6.1% a year, chromium by 7.7% and cobalt by 3.4%, with much of the fall concentrated in the earlier part of the period, from 1996 to 2007. Contact dermatitis attributed to all other agents also declined over the same 24 years, but more slowly — by 3.6% a year.
That historical metal-related study identified 2,374 actual reports, corresponding to an estimated 5,498 after sampling adjustment, or about 12% of EPIDERM cases. Its 1996–2019 trend does not establish the current trend for every cause of dermatitis. The latest HSE survey estimate is 6,000 new work-related skin problems a year, averaged over 2020/21–2024/25.
How many dermatitis cases are reported under RIDDOR and IIDB?
Occupational dermatitis is reportable under RIDDOR where an employee has a diagnosis and their work involves significant or regular exposure to a known skin sensitiser or irritant. Employers need the doctor’s written diagnosis; the reporting conditions matter, rather than an assumed percentage of all disease notifications.
Dermatitis is prescribed disease D5 under the Industrial Injuries scheme. Eligibility depends on the prescribed exposure and other conditions; benefit normally requires assessed disablement of at least 14%. HSE reports 5 new IIDB dermatitis assessments in 2024. These assessments are not a percentage of all dermatitis cases and do not necessarily equal awards.
Employers must assess skin risks and prevent or adequately control exposure under COSHH. Avoidance, substitution and engineering or organisational measures come before reliance on gloves alone. Select gloves for the actual chemical and contact conditions, and provide health surveillance where Regulation 11’s criteria apply, including appropriate skin checks.
Frequently asked questions
How common is work-related skin disease in the UK?
For Great Britain, HSE estimates 18,000 people who worked in the previous year had a self-reported work-related skin problem, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25. New problems averaged 6,000 a year over 2020/21–2024/25. These broader skin-problem estimates are not counts of medically diagnosed dermatitis.
Is occupational dermatitis reportable under RIDDOR?
Report occupational dermatitis where the diagnosis and significant or regular exposure to a known skin sensitiser or irritant meet the RIDDOR criteria. Employers should have the doctor’s written diagnosis. A skin complaint alone does not automatically make a case reportable.
Can workers claim benefit for occupational dermatitis?
IIDB may be available for prescribed occupational dermatitis, subject to exposure, employment and disablement conditions; the normal disablement threshold is 14%. HSE recorded 5 new assessments in 2024. Assessment is not the same as a benefit award.
Which workers are most at risk of hand dermatitis?
Work involving frequent or prolonged wet work, soaps, cleaners and skin sensitisers can create risk. Relevant occupations include nursing, hairdressing, beauty, cleaning, catering and metalworking. Nurses accounted for 15% of specialist-reported dermatitis cases in 2020–2024; this is a case share, not an individual risk rate.
Does COSHH cover occupational dermatitis?
Yes. Substances that damage or sensitise the skin — detergents, solvents, epoxy resins, wet cement, hairdressing chemicals, even prolonged wet work with water — are substances hazardous to health under COSHH, so employers must assess the risk, control exposure and train workers who handle them.
Related guides
- COSHH Statistics UK: Hazardous Substances at Work
- Silica Dust Statistics UK: Exposure, Silicosis & Deaths
- What Substances Are Covered by COSHH? (And What Isn’t)
- How to Carry Out a COSHH Risk Assessment
- The COSHH Hierarchy of Control: How to Choose Controls in the Right Order
Sources & references
- HSE: Work-related skin disease statistics, 2025
- HSE THORS01: specialist-reported skin diagnoses
- HSE THORS04: contact dermatitis by occupation
- HSE THORS05: contact dermatitis by industry
- HSE THORS06: contact dermatitis agents, 2020–2024
- THOR researchers: metal-related dermatitis trends, 1996–2019, published 2024
- HSE: reportable occupational diseases
- GOV.UK: Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- HSE: COSHH Approved Code of Practice
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Mark writes about workplace health & safety, COSHH and accredited online training for COSHH Training, part of Online CPD Academy.