According to the NHS website “Contact dermatitis is a type of eczema triggered by contact with a particular substance. Eczema is the name for a group of conditions that cause skin to become dry and irritated. Contact dermatitis usually improves or clears up completely if the substance causing the problem is identified and avoided.”
Contact dermatitis can be triggered in the workplace by a number of factors. These could include extended contact with water, sweat or other liquids as well as something like a latex allergy.
Occupational ill-health like contact dermatitis is something that any manager, team leader of health & safety professional wants to avoid. The costs to an organisation of any claim related to ill-health can average around £4,100. In addition to this there are the costs of handling the administration and paperwork involved and potential costs of hiring new team members. Ongoing discomfort can also cause a decrease in productivity and efficiency.
Here are our top 3 tips to reduce the risk of contact dermatitis.
Reduce the use latex in your hand protection
Not all teams are able to completely eliminate the use of latex products, however where possible it makes sense to switch to other materials. A really good alternative is nitrile. Nitrile is a manufactured type of rubber with excellent liquid and chemical resistance and durability. A common problem teams experience when trying to substitute latex coated gloves with nitrile options is a loss of tactility and grip, this can be solved by using a modified nitrile finish like sandy nitrile.
Provide operatives with breathable gloves
Where possible it is always best to provide palm coated (or open-backed) gloves. The open weave on the back of the hand allows moisture and sweat to “wick” away. If, however, your operatives are in regular with water or any other liquid then you should NOT provide palm coated gloves, a fully coated option will better protect the workers from water ingress and contact (a common cause of contact dermatitis). Where a fully coated option is required, you should consider specifying as light a glove as possible as well encouraging workers to regularly remove their gloves (when safe to do so) to allow their skin to “breathe”. Some fully coated gloves come with an open cuff wrist that allows better breathability.
Set up and enforce a thorough skin care program for all workers
This is easily the single most important step in preventing contact dermatitis. Using a best-practice skincare program will dramatically improve the health of your operative’s skin. A thorough program will include a barrier cream, cleansing soap and after-work moisturiser. The most important part of this for preventing contact dermatitis is the barrier cream. This will reduce sweating and also increase the skin’s natural resistance to liquids and materials that could irritate the skin.
If you want to talk to any of our team about implementing any of these steps then give us a shout on 01443 741999.
