title: The evolution of skin notations for occupational risk assessment: a new NIOSH strategy.
abstract: This article presents an overview of a strategy for assignment of hazard-specific skin notations (SK), developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). This health hazard characterization strategy relies on multiple SKs capable of delineating systemic (SYS), direct (DIR), and immune-mediated (SEN) adverse effects caused by dermal exposures to chemicals. One advantage of the NIOSH strategy is the ability to combine SKs when it is determined that a chemical may cause multiple adverse effects following dermal contact (e.g., SK: SYS-DIR-SEN). Assignment of the SKs is based on a weight-of-evidence (WOE) approach, which refers to the critical examination of all available data from diverse lines of evidence and the derivation of a scientific interpretation based on the collective body of data including its relevance, quality, and reported results. Numeric cutoff values, based on indices of toxic potency, serve as guidelines to aid in consistently determining a chemical's relative toxicity and hazard potential. The NIOSH strategy documents the scientific rationale for determination of the hazard potential of a chemical and the subsequent assignment of SKs. A case study of acrylamide is presented as an application of the NIOSH strategy.
authors.affiliation: Education and Information Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH 45227, USA. fya8@cdc.gov
authors.forename: G Scott
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Dotson
authors.forename: Chen-Peng
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gadagbui
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Heinz W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ahlers
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lentz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000145:classification* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009314:National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. / Q000592:standards*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances