cutaneous toxicity in its many forms. however pesticides are not the only chemicals which can cause skin toxicity. For example, allergic dermatitis produced by poison oak is the most frequent cause of temporary disability in forestry workers. Dermatitis means literally "inflammation of the skin." Most often dermatitis is referred to as a skin "rash," however, this term is very non-specific. There are many different types of "rashes" and they differ quite a bit in the way they appear and in how they are produced.