Six Tunnel Tilers Away Because Of Dermatitis

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30173, 3 July 1963, Page 14

Six Tunnel Tilers Away Because Of Dermatitis

Six of the 10 men tiling the Christchurch-Lyttelton road tunnel were off work, suffering from a weeping, scaling type of dermatitis, said the Christchurch Medical Officer of Health (Dr. L. F. Jepson) yesterday. Two of the young children and the wife of one of the affected workers were also suffering from this dermatitis.

There was no doubt, he said, that the dermatitis on the men’s faces, scalps, hands, armpits, and knees, was a direct result of contact with an adhesive used to bind the tiles to the tunnel walls. An epoxy-resin compound in the adhesive was a known cause of dermatitis.

Dr. Jepson yesterday morning made an inspection 200 yards inside the Lyttelton jend of the tunnel. Assisted by a deputy medical officer of health, Dr. A. A. Cox, he examined seven tilers working there, and checked the conditions in which the men were working. “Four of the seven tilers were in the clear,” Dr. Jepson said. “Three were put off work at our direction. They had a swelling of the surroundings of the eyes—puffing up. They had irritating dermatitis of the hands, and a little dermatitis around the armpits and at the knees." Dr. Jepson said that three other tilers on the tunnel job had been off work because of dermatitis for four or five days. They would probably be off work for another 10 days. “We hope that those men put off today will not be off for any longer than a week—with any luck,” he said. Dr. Jepson and Dr. Cox were accompanied during their inspection by the job engineer (Mr S. Lucas) and the secretary of the Canterbury Carpenters’ Union (Mr F. L. Langley). The inspection

was made at Mr Langley's request. Recommendation* Dr. Jepson said he had recommended to the management of the company employing the tilers that protective clothing be supplied to all men using the adhesive, that improved washing facilities be provided, and that the men have showers before leaving the job. He had also recommended that the tilers change their clothing before starting work and before going home. Dr. Jepson said that the men had been wearing gloves when mixing the adhesive, but not when tiling.

“Using gloves makes tiling much more difficult for them, unfortunately,” he said. “They are going to use the gloves for tiling from now on.” This outbreak of dermatitis was the first of which he had heard among tilers. Advice of the outbreak would be sent to the Health Department in Wellington, so that further occurrences could be prevented. The Christchurch Hospital had this week notified the Health Department that the earlier three of the present

cases were of industrial dermatitis, Dr. Jepson said. The dermatitis did not show up as soon as the skin came in contact with the epoxy-resin. It might take a fortnight. Some of the men on the tiling job, he said, were averaging £4O a week. Family Affected The children and wife of an affected worker had contracted dermatitis from his clothes, which were heavily impregnated with the resin. Dr. Jepson said he had not seen the children yet, and did not know whether they were severely affected. The man's wife had a mild infection. The adhesive that had caused the outbreak, said Dr. Jepson, was known as Thiopoxy 62. It was manufactured in New Zealand under licence. A note on the package said: “Wash hands before eating and avoid prolonged contact with the skin.”