Occupational dermatitis is a condition that could cause a considerable amount of distress. A skin condition that could lead to infection and scarring in extreme cases, it affects people in a number of industries.
The risks of developing occupational dermatitis should be something employers take seriously. As such, they should inform workers of the risks and take steps to help prevent the development of the condition.
But what happens if a worker develops occupational dermatitis because their employer hasn’t acted to protect workers’ health and safety at work? Could an employee make a claim for compensation? And how could they go about doing so?
Occupational dermatitis guide
Here at Legal Expert, we have plenty of experience in helping those who’ve suffered occupational accidents and illnesses to claim the compensation they deserve. We have put together this guide to explain what you may need to know about making such claims.
Below, we give examples of occupational dermatitis causes and how it could be treated. We also explain how No Win No Fee injury lawyers could help you claim if your employer has breached their duty of care towards you, leading to an accident at work causing an injury, or a workplace illness.
If you would like to have your case assessed for free, or have questions about anything contained in this guide, please don’t hesitate to call 0800 073 8804. Or, you could start your claim online by completing our contact form.
Select a Section
- A Guide On Claiming Compensation For Occupational Dermatitis
- Meeting The Key Criteria To File A Personal Injury Claim
- What Is Dermatitis?
- How Could My Occupation Cause Me To Develop Dermatitis?
- What Are The Symptoms Of Dermatitis?
- Treatment For Occupational Dermatitis
- Statistics For Dermatitis In The UK
- Calculating Compensation For Occupational Dermatitis
- What Is The Difference Between General Damages And Special Damages?
- The Steps To Take When Claiming For Dermatitis
- No Win No Fee Agreements For Any Personal Injury Claims
- Why Legal Expert Are The Best Law Firm To Handle Your Claim
- Contact Us Today
- Additional Links For Occupational Dermatitis Compensation Claims
A Guide On Claiming Compensation For Occupational Dermatitis
If you’re suffering symptoms of occupational dermatitis, you may be experiencing uncomfortable itching, burning or weeping sores. Not only could this be physically uncomfortable, but the appearance of your skin could affect you mentally too.
Should your employer breach their duty of care towards you, leading to the development of occupational dermatitis, you could be eligible for compensation. Occupational dermatitis claims could compensate you for the pain and suffering of your injuries, and any costs associated with them.
This guide aims to explain all you may need to know when making a claim for occupational or post-occupational dermatitis. It explains what duty of care your employer has towards you, as well as information on:
- The symptoms of occupational dermatitis
- Types of occupational dermatitis
- Occupational dermatitis treatment
We also offer you an alternative to a personal injury claims calculator later on in this guide, which gives you approximate guideline figures for compensation payouts. Further to this, we explain how you could make a No Win No Fee claim with the help of one of our solicitors, who would require no funds upfront to begin your personal injury claim.
Meeting The Key Criteria To File A Personal Injury Claim
Whether you choose to work with a No Win No Fee solicitor or not, there are certain criteria that you must fulfil to make a successful claim. You would need to demonstrate that:
- Your employer had a duty of care towards you (as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974)
- There was a breach of that duty of care
- The breach of duty led you to develop occupational dermatitis
- Your claim was within the limitation period specified under the Limitation Act 1980
As we mentioned, you do not have to use personal injury solicitors when making such claims. However, they could help you build a robust claim, and could negotiate for the maximum compensation possible for your case.
What Is Dermatitis?
Contact dermatitis, according to the NHS, is an eczema-type condition, which could cause skin to become irritated and dry.
Occupational dermatitis symptoms can range from mild to severe and could include:
- Blistering of the skin
- Dry skin
- Itching skin
- Cracking of the skin
Types Of Occupational Dermatitis
There are different causes of occupational dermatitis disorders. The most common type of occupational dermatitis is caused by coming into contact with an irritant. Causes of occupational dermatitis by contact could include chemicals in soaps, detergents and foodstuffs, for example.
Other occupational dermatitis causes could be allergens. These could be contained in latex gloves, fruits and other foodstuffs, for example.
Occupational Dermatitis Treatment
The treatment of this condition would depend on the types of occupational dermatitis and the severity of the condition. In some cases, sufferers could be advised to avoid contact with substances known to trigger the condition.
In other cases, emollients or topical corticosteroids might be necessary. Unfortunately, though, if the condition is severe, wounds could become infected, and you may require antibiotic treatment if this is the case. In extreme cases, the condition could cause scarring.
If you are considering making occupational dermatitis claims, your personal injury compensation could include damages for pain and suffering, as well as costs associated with treating your condition. To find out more about whether you could claim such compensation, read on.
How Could My Occupation Cause Me To Develop Dermatitis?
According to the HSE, dermatitis is a condition that is one of the most widespread causes of ill-health at work. It could affect workers in a range of industries, including:
- Food processing
- Cleaning
- Catering
- Beauty
One of the most common occupational dermatitis causes reported by the HSE is contact with foods, which accounts for around 40% of cases in the food industry. Foods that could cause dermatitis could include flour and dough, citrus fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, sugar and spices. Other causes could include contact with rubber or latex gloves, coins, cleaners and chemicals, as well as some alcohol sanitisers.
In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, it is up to your employer to identify the risk of harm within the workplace. This could include implementing preventative measures for occupational dermatitis.
Employers may consider training employees in how to avoid contact dermatitis due to their work, take steps to investigate any complaints of skin conditions to see if there could be a way to reduce risks, and provide protective wear if there is an identified need to do so.
If you develop a workplace illness due to your employer’s negligence in this area, you could be eligible to claim compensation.
What Are The Symptoms Of Dermatitis?
We briefly covered symptoms relating to dermatitis earlier in this guide, but in fact, there is a long list of potential symptoms those suffering from dermatitis could experience. These could include:
- Cracking of the skin
- Swelling
- Weeping sores
- Blisters
- Burning sensations
- Dry skin
- Itching
- Redness
- Scale-type flaking of the skin
- Skin discolouration
- Infections – should dermatitis sores become infected, you could experience pustules or foul-smelling sores
The Mental Costs Of Dermatitis
Not only could you suffer physically from dermatitis, but it could also affect you mentally. If, for example, you are left with scarring from post-occupational dermatitis, this could affect your confidence. You may feel that you have to cover up any sores so people do not see them. In extreme cases, sufferers may not want to go out until the condition has cleared up.
Treatment For Occupational Dermatitis
Treatments of occupational dermatitis could vary depending on the nature and severity of the condition. In the first instance, you may simply be told to avoid further contact with any identified causes.
If your skin is troubling you, you could speak to a pharmacist, who could recommend emollient creams for you to smooth into the affected area. This could help to restore moisture in the skin.
However, if your dermatitis doesn’t respond well, you could consider seeing your GP. If the dermatitis symptoms do not go away, or you frequently experience symptoms. Your GP could attempt to ascertain the causes of your condition. They may refer you to a skin specialist, a dermatologist, for further examination and treatment.
They could also prescribe topical or oral corticosteroids to relieve symptoms should they be severe.
Statistics For Dermatitis In The UK
According to the Health and Safety Executive, in 2019 alone, dermatologists in the UK estimated 876 cases of work-related contact dermatitis. The reported numbers have lowered steadily from 2010-2019. They indicate that, of the reported 876 cases, women suffered more commonly (58%) with men reported to make up 42% of the numbers.
According to these reports, the highest number of cases occurred in the following occupations:
- Beauticians
- Florists
- Hairdressers and barbers
- Cooks
- Machine operatives in metalwork
- Dental practitioners
Below, you can see a graph with figures taken from the HSE website relating to the listed occupations with high instances of dermatitis at work. These figures relate to workers in Great Britain between 2010 and 2019.
Calculating Compensation For Occupational Dermatitis
When it comes to how to calculate compensation for occupational dermatitis claims, the amount you’d receive would be dependent on factors such as the nature and severity of the condition.
During your claim, you would need to see an independent medical expert. They would examine your condition and talk to you about how it developed and how it affects you. The expert could also review any relevant past medical records. These could help to build an accurate picture of your condition.
Once the assessment is complete, the independent medic would produce a report. This would be vital evidence in securing you an appropriate compensation payout for your suffering and pain. That’s because the purpose of the report is to:
- Assess the severity of your condition.
- Establish what caused or worsened it (i.e. did workplace conditions lead to it?).
If the professional finds that your condition isn’t related to work, you’d find it hard to claim. However, if it is related and you use the services of a solicitor to claim, the solicitor could use the report to value your injuries.
You may notice that we have not posted a personal injury claims calculator within this guide. We have chosen to bring you figures from the Judicial College Guidelines instead. This publication gives guideline compensation amounts that your lawyer could use when valuing your condition.
| Type of injury/condition | Notes | Guideline Bracket for Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Dermatitis of the scalp: less severe | Where symptoms of dermatitis and psychological harm are fewer and less serious | £3,710 to £6,890 |
| Dermatitis of both of the hands | Affecting home and work life, with soreness and cracking | £12,900 to £18,020 |
| Dermatitis of one or both of the hands | Continues for some time but eased with gloves/ resolves over time | £8,110 to £10,710 |
| Itchy, irritating rashes on hand/s | Conditions that resolve within months with some treatment. Short-lived aggravations of pre-existing skin conditions. | Up to £3,710 |
The figures above are only approximations. However, if you are interested in learning more about compensation payouts for your condition, please do not hesitate to call our advisors. They can value your claim for free.
What Is The Difference Between General Damages And Special Damages?
When you look at a compensation calculator, it may provide you with details of both special damages and general damages. If you have no experience in this area of the law, you may not know what these refer to. Simply put:
- General damages are designed to compensate personal injury claimants for suffering, pain and loss of amenity (enjoyment of life) caused by their injuries. The section above gave guidance on how much compensation this could be.
- Special damages are those that compensate claimants for the pecuniary (financial) losses and costs they experience due to their condition. These could include, but may not be limited to travel expenses, medical costs, care costs and loss of earnings.
To claim for such damages, you would need evidence. When claiming general damages, the medical report could be one of the most vital pieces of evidence. To claim special damages, evidence could be in the form of bank statements, receipts and payslips, for example.
The Steps To Take When Claiming For Dermatitis
We briefly mentioned earlier in this guide that there are certain criteria that you must fulfil to make a successful claim for occupational dermatitis.
As we mentioned, you would have to prove that there was a breach in your employer’s duty of care that led to the development of the condition. If you intend to claim compensation, you would therefore need evidence of this. Steps you could take include:
- Report the condition. If you have complained about a work-related skin condition previously to your employer and asked for them to provide you with gloves or other necessary PPE, you could include a copy of your report to them.
- Take witness information. If anyone has witnessed the development of occupational dermatitis or another employee of the same company has suffered the same, you could call upon them to potentially provide witness statements at a later date.
- Seek medical attention. It is vital that you get the right support and treatment for your condition. We would urge you to see a medical professional to obtain this. However, you would still need to see an independent medical expert as part of your claim, as we explained in the above section.
- Get legal advice. If you believe that your employer has breached their duty of care towards you, leading you to develop a workplace illness, it would be wise to take legal advice. That way, you could be advised of your rights as to whether you could make a claim.
Getting The Help You Need
Here at Legal Expert, we would be happy to talk you through the personal injury claims process in more detail. We could assess your case and provide free legal advice specific to your claim. We could even connect you with No Win No Fee personal injury solicitors who could take your claim on under a Conditional Fee Agreement.
No Win No Fee Agreements For Any Personal Injury Claims
For valid occupational dermatitis claims, the good news is that they can be made on a No Win No Fee basis. What’s more, you don’t have to search for ‘No Win No Fee solicitors near me’. Our solicitors could take on your claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (No Win No Fee agreement) and work for you from anywhere in the country.
Accepting a No Win No Fee agreement would mean you wouldn’t pay upfront for any solicitor fees. Instead, you would pay at the end of your claim out of your compensation payout. If for any reason your compensation claim was unsuccessful, you would not need to pay your solicitor’s fee at all.
The process would generally work as follows:
- Your No Win No Fee injury solicitor would send you a No Win No Fee agreement. It would contain the details of the small percentage of compensation you’d pay as a success fee.
- You would sign and send the agreement back and the solicitor would begin your claim.
- When compensation comes through, the solicitor would deduct the agreed fee.
- You would benefit from the rest of your compensation.
Should you wish to reap the benefits of claiming on a No Win No Fee basis, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Why Legal Expert Are The Best Law Firm To Handle Your Claim
We recognise that there are a number of law firms and solicitors in the UK that could handle occupational dermatitis claims for you. However, we believe we could be an excellent choice for claimants in the UK no matter where they are based. Reasons you could choose us to take on your claim could include:
- We have an excellent track record in helping claimants get the compensation they deserve for an accident at work or workplace illness.
- Our solicitors all work on a No Win No Fee basis for claims they accept.
- We offer a high level of customer service too.
- Our advisors could also provide you with free legal advice and eligibility checks which would put you under no obligation to use our services.
- We have great feedback: if you would like to read our reviews that have been left by previous claimants, we would be delighted for you to do so. You can find them on our reviews page.
If you have any questions about the services we offer, or would like to find out more about how we can help you, we’d be happy to hear from you. Our expert team of advisors is on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Contact Us Today
Are you ready to make a claim for occupational dermatitis disorders? Do you believe your employer could be at fault for you developing symptoms of dermatitis? Should they have helped to prevent you developing the condition? If your employer’s negligence caused you harm, we are here to help. There are plenty of ways in which you could get in touch with our advisors. You could:
- Call our legal helpline on 0800 073 8804
- Email us and we will get back to you at info@legalexpert.co.uk
- Complete our online contact form, and someone will get back to you.
- Use our handy live chat service to have your questions answered by our advisors instantly.
Why wait to claim the compensation you deserve? Here at Legal Expert, we’re ready to help you start your claim today.
Additional Links For Occupational Dermatitis Compensation Claims
Accident At Work Claims: if you’re wondering whether you could claim for an accident at work, this useful guide could give you all the help you need.
Suing my employer for RSI: if you are worried about taking legal action against your employer for work-related RSI, this guide could help to allay your fears and give you information on your rights.
Work Illness Claims: We can provide you with lots of information about work-related claims. This guide provides you with specific advice if you suffer an illness related to your work.
Skin At Work: The Health and Safety Executive provides a wealth of advice and guidance on protecting workers’ skin. You can find an overview of the information here.
Full List Of Treatments For Dermatitis: The NHS provides a valuable resource on treatment options for dermatitis. You can read about them on this page.
Statistics For Dermatitis: The HSE website has a wealth of statistics relating to dermatitis and other work-related skin conditions. You can see these in full by visiting this link.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this guide to occupational dermatitis. If you have any questions about making a claim, or would like to speak to our advisors, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Written by Jeffries
Edited by Victorine
