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Background: Hairdressers are occupationally exposed to many allergenic and irritating substances. Additionally, hairdressing apprentices are exposed to the same allergens as professional hairdressers, due to the fact that vocational training starts in the beginning of the education. This study was undertaken to investigate early occurrence of sensitization to occupational allergens in hairdressing apprentices before the onset of the vocational training. Material and Methods: Three hundred and seven hairdressing apprentices were assessed using a questionnaire and skin prick tests (SPTs) to common and occupational allergens. The level of total and serum specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to occupational allergens was evaluated and spirometry was performed. Results: At least one skin and/or respiratory and/or conjunctival symptom was reported by 29.9% of subjects. Among subjects with at least one symptom, 28.2% of them were atopic whereas among 43.4% of them total IgE level was elevated. Atopy was found in 20% cases. In the case of one apprentice, positive SPT for paraphenylenediamine was found. Nearly 33% of apprentices had elevated total IgE level and 5 of them had specific IgE for occupational allergens. Conclusions: The study revealed that hairdressing apprentices might be sensitized to occupational allergens even before the beginning of vocational training, due to prior non-professional exposure to hairdressing agents. Furthermore, many of them report skin, respiratory and conjunctival symptoms, often connected with chronic disease diagnosis. Thus, candidates for hairdressers should be examined thoroughly before the start of the education and tests for allergy to hairdressing substances are indicated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hairdressers are occupationally exposed to many substances both, allergizing and irritating. The continuous development of hairdressing services brings about new risks. The most important allergens are: persulfates (ammonium and potassium), paraphenylenediamine, and latex. A growing number of occupational allergens in the work environment of hairdresses, providing that most of them are low weight allergens, may cause some diagnostic problems. Health risks related with haidressing occupation, have prompted the researchers to pay more attention to risk factors of occupational allergy. Owing to the fact, that first morbid symptoms may occur very early, even during the apprenticeship in a hairdressing school, it is very important to indentify health risks, which can be useful in predicting the onset of occupational allergy and in developing effective prevention methods. The most common allergens at the hairdressers' workplace, risk factors, diagnostics of occupational asthma and rhinitis, as well as the prevention of these diseases are reviewed in this publication.

According to the 2002 data there are in Poland 14.3% of people with disabilities. On the other hand, an employment level of people with disabilities in Poland is one of the lowest in Europe with its percentage rate of 13% in the year 2004. Therefore, the improvement in certification system and its efficacy is needed. Occupational health service (OHS) plays an important role in the process of occupational elicitation of this group of people. Barriers at the level of OHS mainly result from the lack of guidelines in this field, so now it is essential to implement those that have been proposed. The improvement in occupational medicine physicians training is also essential. Difficulties in certification of ability to work is also the result of unavailable data on patient's health. Psychiatric problems, epilepsy and diabetes cause the major problems in the certification of capacity to work.

In most cases diagnosis of immediate-type occupational allergy is very complex. Mainly it is caused by diversity of occupational allergens and lack of standardized diagnostic methods. The content of allergic proteins in commercially available skin prick test reagents differs between companies and in some the most important allergens are not named. Also the evaluation of serum specific IgE (asIgE) is characterized by different diagnostic accuracy. In some cases, false-positive results of asIgE detection are the consequence of cross-reaction to common environmental allergens. In those cases it is helpful to determine asIgE for cross-reacting carbohydrate determinants (CCDs) to exclude cross-hypersensitivity. The presented paper reviews the structure of carbohydrate determinants, their prevalence and possible impact on laboratory in vitro tests used in allergy diagnostics, as well as the methods of their identification. Possible applications of CCDs in occupational allergy diagnostics are also discussed.

The occupational group particularly exposed to contact with birds are zoo keepers, animal shop workers, individual bird's keepers and food industry workers. Work associated with contact with birds may contribute to the development of different symptoms and diseases, including allergic and contagious ones. This paper reviews the most common allergens occurring in the environment of bird's keepers, namely: feathers, egg proteins, allergens of plant origin, acarinae, allergens from latex and disinfectants. The most common health effects associated with occupational exposure to birds are also presented. Taking account of not fully understood pathogenesis of allergy to these allergens, complexity of occupational exposure and a possible coincidence of non-specific irritant effects of factors present in work environment, the diagnostic and certification procedures for occupational allergic diseases require highly specialized investigations. Objective and subjective medical examinations, taken medical history and physical examination also play a significant role in diagnostics of contagious diseases, whereas different laboratory tests are used in searching for their etiologic factors. The prevention of diseases associated with occupational exposure to birds comprises educational work, technical actions (hygiene prophylaxis) and medical prophylaxis.