task. Merely the stretching of the glove can reduce the period of safe protection by as much as 80%, although this will not be visible to the glove user. An increase in temperature of the glove from room temperature (23°C) to skin temperature (35°C), can cause a substantial reduction in the time for which the glove will protect, possibly reducing this by up to 85%! Again this will not be detectable by the wearer.
There is no validated method for applying the many factors that influence how chemical protective gloves will work under actual conditions of use. In order to ensure that the gloves are protecting - and being changed at appropriate intervals - in-use testing may be required.
Safety data sheets tell me what I need to know about the hazards of chemicals when we use them Safety data sheets contain limited information on the major hazardous constituents in the chemical product as supplied. There are literally thousands of chemicals that in contact with the skin can cause damage to health but, not having been assigned a Hazard Statement will not be shown on the safety data sheet. The chemical most commonly associated with occupational contact dermatitis is dihydrogen monoxide, to be found in virtually every workplace and well known to dermatologists as a skin irritant. Dihydrogen monoxide is, of course, the chemical name for water. Wet work is well established as a significant cause of skin damage.
Furthermore, we purchase chemicals to use for a purpose. In the process of using the chemical it will frequently be changed, thereby changing the hazard (see box). Our risk assessment has to be based on the chemical present when the task is being carried out.
Protective (barrier) creams are good at protecting the skin This is simply not the case. There is an abundant range of studies that indicate that these products provide little, if any, real protection and may, in some cases, actually increase the potential for the chemical to cause damage. In the U.K. the Health and Safety Executive cautions against using these as protection. Note that these products are legally defined as cosmetics, not as personal protective equipment. This raises interesting questions about legal liability.
Our exposure to a chemical is below the Workplace Exposure Limit, so we are safe Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) only apply to airborne exposure for the purposes of managing inhalation. There are no exposure limits for skin, either airborne or otherwise. Furthermore, it has been shown that airborne exposure of the skin to some chemicals can cause a skin reaction at levels below the WEL.
The manufacturers’ catalogues tell me what I need to know to choose the right gloves to protect against a chemical hazard
They cannot. The information is generally based on the tests that are required in order to comply with the EN standards. And don’t be deceived by the latest changes in the EN standards regarding gloves for protection against chemicals. The standards only relate to the quality of manufacture and some laboratory based permeation tests which bear little relevance when it comes to determining which gloves to use for a particular task and for how long they will provide protection. There are many factors that affect how a glove will work when worn for a particular
Conclusions We could list many more myths, for example that creams applied before work can effectively prevent chemicals from damaging the skin, when the evidence is overwhelming that this is not the case, that drinking more water will effectively rehydrate dry skin, etc.
The simple fact is that ensuring we prevent damage to health due to workplace skin exposure is not as simple as many assume. Simplistic answers rarely reflect reality. Perhaps that is why international statistics show skin disease still to be a major cause of occupationally caused ill health. In Europe the EU Agency for Safety and Health at Work has estimated that 30% of all occupational ill health is caused by skin disease.
LINK
www.enviroderm.co.uk
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.142 DECEMBER 2017 11
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