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Background: On 29 March 2008 the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) Scientific Committee on Occupational and Environmental Dermatoses organized a Skin Notation Workshop hosted by the 11(th) International Percutaneous Penetration Perspectives Conference (La Grande Motte, France). Skin notation (S) was chosen as a topic for discussion because this is the only example of existing regulation in the field of dermal risk assessment. The issue was discussed in a previous workshop held in Siena, Italy in 2006 with the objective of focussing on the problems related to S, the different assignment criteria and the attempts to improve the S system made by various international and governmental agencies. A position paper was subsequently published. Objectives: The workshop in France was a continuation of this activity with the aim of evaluating how the different strategies can improve S. Methods and Discussion: The Workshop was divided into two sessions. The first was dedicated to lectures focused on different aspects of S. In the second session participants discussed key issues with the aim of exploring the actions needed to improve international S systems

A case of obstructive pulmonary reaction with flu-like symptoms after exposure to 3-methylfuran is described. This compound is produced by fungi, and can be found in buildings with mould growth. Previous studies have shown that exposure to the substance might increase the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, and is pneumotoxic to animals at high concentrations.

At the 8th conference of Occupational and Environmental Exposure of the Skin to Chemicals (OEESC) (16–18 September 2019) in Dublin, Ireland, several researchers performing skin permeation assays convened to discuss in vitro skin permeability experiments. We, along with other colleagues, all of us hands-on skin permeation researchers, present here the results from our discussions on the available OECD guidelines. The discussions were especially focused on three OECD skin absorption documents, including a recent revision of one: i) OECD Guidance Document 28 (GD28) for the conduct of skin absorption studies (OECD, 2004), ii) Test Guideline 428 (TGD428) for measuring skin absorption of chemical in vitro (OECD, 2004), and iii) OECD Guidance Notes 156 (GN156) on dermal absorption issued in 2011 (OECD, 2011). GN156 (OECD, 2019) is currently under review but not finalized. A mutual concern was that these guidance documents do not comprehensively address methodological issues or the performance of the test, which might be partially due to the years needed to finalize and update OECD documents with new skin research evidence. Here, we summarize the numerous factors that can influence skin permeation and its measurement, and where guidance on several of these are omitted and often not discussed in published articles. We propose several improvements of these guidelines, which would contribute in harmonizing future in vitro skin permeation experiments.

This chapter outlines the conceptual framework, methodology and initial interpretations of a pilot study undertaken by a state government agency and coordinated by the Human Services Network (HSNet). The study, conducted in a rural community in NSW, Australia, approaches the communication between the service delivery and consumer as a dialogue. A dialogue between two parties can be positioned to trace and reflect on: (1) the governmental planning model of service delivery and (2) the community that experiences these services as individuals. Such experiential knowledge can be gained from understandings from a range of client stories that reflect the community interaction with service delivery. The design problem focuses on how to increase the bandwidth for such interactions so that all parties can derive meaning. The long term goal is to position the health service network in a role where such mediation between parties can: (1) be explicitly and implicitly linked to action that affects service planning and community delivery, and (2) that the experience of the individual in the community can be incorporated actively into the process of such planning. The chapter concludes with summary of preliminary insights from the project and a brief overview of future developments.