title: Occupational dermatitis in hairdressers: do they claim workers' compensation?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hairdressers are one of the largest occupational groups attending our Occupational Dermatology Clinic. However, few seek workers' compensation for their occupational dermatitis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively analyse and compare workers' compensation claims data and diagnosed disease data for occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers from 1993 to 2009, for the state of Victoria, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Occupational Dermatology Clinic database, the Compensation Research Database and the Australian Bureau of Statistics were used in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinic database identified 157 hairdressers and apprentices with a confirmed diagnosis of occupational contact dermatitis assessed between 1993 and 2009. Forty-six unique claims for occupational contact dermatitis from 46 individuals were identified from the Compensation Research Database over the same time period. Hairdressers in the 15-24-year age group were significantly over-represented in the claims data relative to the diagnosed disease data (p < 0.01). The median cost per claim was AU$1421, and the median time off work per claim was 20 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased efforts are needed to reduce the incidence of occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers in Australia, and to ensure that hairdressers with occupational contact dermatitis are aware of their compensation entitlements. Reliance on workers' compensation data for disease surveillance may lead occupational health and safety regulators to underestimate the magnitude of the problem of occupational contact dermatitis in the hairdressing profession.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Dermatology Research and Education Centre, Skin and Cancer Foundation, 3053 Melbourne Australia.
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Tessa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keegel
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nixon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006202:Hair Dyes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010655:Phenylenediamines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014739:Victoria; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D006202:Hair Dyes; D010655:Phenylenediamines; C029728:4-phenylenediamine