Occupational allergies have been among the most frequently recorded occupational diseases for years and both the skin as well as the respiratory tract may be affected. Estimated 9 - 15% of adult asthma is (partially) caused by work-related exposure. Gender-specific differences in exposure cause different risks at the workplace which affect the health of employees. This also applies to exposure and working conditions when handling with sensitizing working substances. The gender-specific analysis presented here, based on the German documentation of the confirmed occupational allergic diseases of the airways and the skin, reveals clear differences between men and women in the numbers of diseases and also in exposure condition and working areas.