Skincare towards greater understanding
November 1st 2004 Elliot E Lewis, F.I.D. and Dr D Mehlan comment upon skincare in the industrial workplace
Red, white, green or blue: what am I referring to? The most important matter in some people’s view the colour of the skin protectant dispenser.
Even the shape of the dispenser has become crucial to some people so that the image of their company is not compromised. In fact image is seen as being much more important than making certain that the product being bought is correct for the job and does exactly what the manufacturers’ promise it will do.
Is it any wonder that in the view of many Health and Safety professionals, skincare is the most misunderstood area of their responsibility and so many working hours are lost to absenteeism due to skin disease? Skin disease has for a long time headed the list of notifiable occupational/industrial diseases some 10 000 to 12 000 cases per annum. That puts immense financial strain on the economy in the form of plant expenditure and payments by insurance underwriters.
There is an urgent need therefore for more and better understood measures designed to protect the health of the skin.
Some 90% of all occupational/industrial skin diseases take the form of eczema, of which 90% occurs first on the hands (a primary location). It follows that industrial skin protection means primarily protection of the hands. This article deals only with preventive skin protection by means of skin protection products; other measures such as personal protective equipment or the modification of plant processes to reduce skin contact with harmful substances, are left unexamined.
From what substances must the industrial worker be protected? The hazard potential can be defined quite clearly: roughly 75% of industrial skin diseases are recognised by the insurance underwriters and approximately 66% of those receiving compensation for the first time are centred on only 10 occupational groups. Here are some examples of disease triggering substances: Lubricants, cutting and drilling emulsions in metal processing trades and generally in the repair and maintenance sector, including the motor trade; Chrome/nickel in metal processing, as well as chromium or (dichromate) in the construction trades bricklaying, concrete work; Solvents and paints in paint shops and in the chemical industry; Plastics or their base materials and additives in the plastic producing and processing industry.
However one must not overlook detergents and other cleaning agents which after contact with harmful substances, are used frequently and intensively and which through the toxic degenerative eczema (wear dermatosis) promote the development of chronic allergy contact eczema.
What requirements are to be expected of skin protection products? Preventive skin protection products should as far as possible, prevent contact between skin and harmful substances. The products must be dermatologically compatible, they must be absorbed well by the skin and they must have no adverse effect on work through inadequate grip properties. The effectiveness/adhesion period should be not less than half a work shift. The natural skin functions should be affected as little as possible.
Regrettably and misleadingly, skin care products are often described as skin protection products on the premise that a cared-for hand is a healthy hand and thus also a protected hand.
In practice it is found again and again that products are automatically rated good or bad on the basis of pH values although especially in the case of skin protection products, this is no criterion with regard to effectiveness and dermatological compatibility. The pH value plays a greater part in detergents/cleaning agents, especially washing solutions, although here too it is increasingly stressed by experts that concentration on pH values and the destruction of the so-called acid coating has assumed absurd dimensions.
The skin’s buffer system is normally able to compensate for fluctuations in alkalinity/acidity. However, this system is water-soluble and bathing, showering or just washing hands will always move the skin’s pH value in the direction of alkalinity regardless of whether acid or alkaline soaps or just plain water are used. On the contrary, it has been found that acid solutions dry out the skin more than alkaline solutions, so that acid washing solutions necessitate more comprehensive after-care to grease the skin and regulate its moisture content. Tests also show that exposure to alkaline solutions with a pH value in excess of 10 over a period of five days produced no irritation of the skin.
Skin protection creams that form a dry film with good gripping properties and which are consequently without effective alkalinity, can therefore be used without fear of problems.
The multitude of substances with potential skin hazards can be grouped on the basis of their chemical actions, so that only two basic products, rather than an indeterminable number of specialist products are required for preventive protection, together with one after-care product. These are:- 1. Operations involving alkaline and acid aqueous substances (rinsing agents, cleaning solutions, detergents, disinfection products, acid baths, caustic solutions, refrigerants, lubricants, cutting and drilling emulsions) which call for a rich water repellent cream.
2. Operations involving non-aqueous substances (oils, grease, adhesives, varnishes, paints, dust, plastics, synthetic resins, two component systems, tar, bitumen, some organic solvents) call for a water-soluble, low-fat cream with special emulsifying agents (eg as a special formation with specific barrier effects.
3. The after-care cream should have grease restoring and moisture regulating properties; in addition, it can naturally deal with specific problems.
From these basic products can be derived other creams with specific active ingredients, eg creams that protect against ultraviolet rays for example, or with tanning agents which strengthen the stratum corneum of the skin to protect it against minute mechanical injuries (micro trauma).
No satisfactory laboratory method exists for determining the effectiveness of skin protection products so that one depends largely on field testing.
Dermatological compatibility on the other hand can be tested in application and epicutane tests, so that users should take care to use products that have been subjected to such tests, as well as offering long term field experience if possible.
Prospective users should not be satisfied with products that have just passed an initial skin irritation test involving animals (eg OECD directive 404).
The prophylactic use of skin protection products makes it much easier to clean the hands after work. That is particularly true for pr88 where no additional cleaning agents are required.
Finally, it cannot be stressed enough that the largely inadequate skin cleansing measures provoke skin disease and that is healthier and more economical to take preventive protective action.
As members of the Skin Protectant Group of the BSIF the Skin Protection Company is totally committed to providing ethical advice of a consistent nature at all times.
This fits in well with the policies of Ursula Rath GssmbH, the company manufacturing the full range of products. With two products covering the widest possible spectrum of protection, it is possible to reduce the number of protectants used in the manufacturing process and thus reduce costs while improving the health of those exposed to noxious substances. More articles from The Skin Protection Co Ltd: | 
