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Health & Safety
A cracked fist in a rubber glove
What does the cleaning sector have more of than the construction, motor trade,
metalworking and maintenance and printing industries? The answer, according to the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is reported cases of occupational dermatitis.
Marigold Industrial talks problems and proper hand protection
T
he cleaning industry is the fourth of hand protection for common workplace
most hazardous industry to work in chemicals can be seen as time consuming
where occupational dermatitis is and not as important as other business
concerned. Risk managers will tell you that issues,” explains Thorne.“Unless the
wherever possible, human contact information is easy to source and understand,
between the risk and the hazard should there is an increased likelihood that gloves
be removed. But within the cleaning provided are inappropriate for the substances
industry, human contact with chemicals is being handled.”
a daily occurrence and a necessity. While
advances in technology have seen the Data protection
industry become more reliant on Chemical safety data sheets are an essential
machinery such as floor cleaners and tool in identifying chemical make up and
scrubbers, there is still nothing that can hazard levels to the unprotected worker. A
replace the most important tool in the vital source of information, they must be held
trade – the hands. by the employer under COSHH Regulations.
Marigold Industrial believes that unless Once the chemicals have been identified,
the right type of protection is given to workers’ hands, regular Marigold Industrial says the work undertaken by staff and the type of
contact with common chemicals used in the cleaning industry could contact with the chemical needs to be considered. If you are working
be storing up trouble for both worker and company owner. With with a chemical where you have to submerge your gloved hand into
litigation from aggrieved workers on the rise, employers in the the solution, as opposed to working with a solution where the only
cleaning sector cannot afford to ignore the risks that skin contact contact is the occasional splash, it may well be that the level of
with chemicals can bring. protection required is different.
“Unless it is protected properly, skin that is exposed to chemicals “Chemical protection has to be based on accurate and
can become irritated, burned or ulcerated. Whether people are authoritative data. Without this, the glove selection process is
working with strong chemicals – such as degreasers, or subtler ones – potentially and
such as mild cleaning fluids, chemicals will break down the skin’s seriously flawed, which
natural defence – it’s just a matter of time,” says John Thorne, UK is why information
country manager for Marigold Industrial. tools such as our
“Where people are working with stronger chemicals, damage can Chemical Permeation
occur quickly. More often, damage occurs over a longer period of Chart are essential,”
time as people perceive that the substance they are working with is states Thorne.“The
not particularly ‘hazardous’. Even water is a chemical solution that chart spells out clearly
attacks the skin.” and simply how long
you can safely use
Small company, big responsibility gloves with a particular
Over the past decade Dermatitis has remained one of the major chemical and which
causes of workplace injury within the cleaning sector. According to gloves provide the
Marigold Industrial, with the vast majority of businesses in the sector highest levels of
classed as small and medium- protection.”
sized (SMEs) with an estimated Marigold Industrial’s
72% of workers in the industry chemical permeation
being employed by a company chart adopts a number
with less than 10 people, it is rating from 0 to 6 to
perhaps not surprising that the highlight specific glove
dermatitis injury figure remains permeation performance against 100 of the most common
high, with the health and safety workplace chemicals. A glove with a score of 6 provides permeation
manager function likely to be protection of over eight hours while a glove with a score of 0
one of many that owner provides protection of less than 10 minutes and will therefore be
operators have to deal with on a inappropriate for use with a particular chemical. Users can also cross-
daily basis. reference official chemical names with their common alternative
“Sourcing detailed information names. For a copy of the chart
42759 or cleaning-matters.co.uk/enquiry
on issues such as the provision contact Marigold Industrial. Tel: 0845 075 3355
40
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