National statistics

ADS-project

The Netherlands Centre for Occupational Diseases (NCvB) and the Netherlands Expert Centre of Occupational Skin Diseases (NECOD) both participate in the Occupational Skin Disease Surveillance (ADS-project).

Every month about twenty dermatologists report new cases of occupational skin diseases by sending in a report form. This surveillance scheme was set up in addition to the National Registry of Occupational Diseases, in which occupational physicians report new cases.

Because a lot of patients with occupational skin disease are not absent from work they will not visit an occupational physician. This explains for a great part the underreporting of occupational skin diseases by occupational physicians.

In addition the surveillance scheme of dermatologists delivers more detailed information about the causal agents. The figure and tables show numbers of reports, diagnoses, occupations and causal agents during the several years of this surveillance.

The following numbers are from the ADS project:

Solvent Team

The purpose of the Solvent Team Project is to develop a satisfactory diagnosis for patients with possible chronic toxic encephalopathy (CTE), to increase the knowledge of the syndrome and its course and to give patients the best possible counseling.

CTE can occur as a result of prolonged and / or intensive exposure to neurotoxic substances. Usually this concerns exposure to organic solvents, but there may also be exposure to pesticides or heavy metals.

Solvent Teams were formed in the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and in the Medical Spectrum Twente in Enschede. The name Solvent Team was introduced by the Clinic for Occupational Diseases in Helsinki and was adopted. It indicates the multidisciplinary approach to solvents as the possible cause of the disorder and to solutions as the intended result of the efforts.

The activities of both Solvent Teams are registered and the tables shown below are a result of this registration.

The following numbers are from the OPS project: