A cracked fist in a rubber glove
December 1st 2009

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

The cleaning industry is the fourth most hazardous industry to work in where occupational dermatitis is concerned. Risk managers will tell you that wherever possible, human contact between the risk and the hazard should be removed. But within the cleaning industry, human contact with chemicals is a daily occurrence and a necessity.While advances in technology have seen the industry become more reliant on machinery such as floor cleaners and scrubbers, there is still nothing that can replace the most important tool in the trade – the hands.

Marigold Industrial believes that unless the right type of protection is given to workers' hands, regular contact with common chemicals used in the cleaning industry could be storing up trouble for both worker and company owner.With litigation from aggrieved workers on the rise, employers in the cleaning sector cannot afford to ignore the risks that skin contact with chemicals can bring.

"Unless it is protected properly, skin that is exposed to chemicals can become irritated, burned or ulcerated.Whether people are working with strong chemicals – such as degreasers, or subtler ones – such as mild cleaning fluids, chemicals will break down the skin's natural defence – it's just a matter of time," says John Thorne,UK country manager for Marigold Industrial.

"Where people are working with stronger chemicals, damage can occur quickly.More often, damage occurs over a longer period of time as people perceive that the substance they are working with is not particularly 'hazardous'. Even water is a chemical solution that attacks the skin."

Small company, big responsibility Over the past decade Dermatitis has remained one of the major causes of workplace injury within the cleaning sector.According to Marigold Industrial, with the vast majority of businesses in the sector classed as small and mediumsized (SMEs) with an estimated 72% of workers in the industry being employed by a company with less than 10 people, it is perhaps not surprising that the dermatitis injury figure remains high, with the health and safety manager function likely to be one of many that owner operators have to deal with on a daily basis.

"Sourcing detailed information on issues such as the provision of hand protection for common workplace chemicals can be seen as time consuming and not as important as other business issues," explains Thorne."Unless the information is easy to source and understand, there is an increased likelihood that gloves provided are inappropriate for the substances being handled."

Data protection Chemical safety data sheets are an essential tool in identifying chemical make up and hazard levels to the unprotected worker.A vital source of information, they must be held by the employer under COSHH Regulations.

Once the chemicals have been identified, Marigold Industrial says the work undertaken by staff and the type of contact with the chemical needs to be considered. If you are working with a chemical where you have to submerge your gloved hand into the solution, as opposed to working with a solution where the only contact is the occasional splash, it may well be that the level of protection required is different.

"Chemical protection has to be based on accurate and authoritative data.Without this, the glove selection process is potentially and seriously flawed, which is why information tools such as our Chemical Permeation Chart are essential," states Thorne."The chart spells out clearly and simply how long you can safely use gloves with a particular chemical and which gloves provide the highest levels of protection." Marigold Industrial's chemical permeation chart adopts a number rating from 0 to 6 to highlight specific glove permeation performance against 100 of the most common workplace chemicals.A glove with a score of 6 provides permeation protection of over eight hours while a glove with a score of 0 provides protection of less than 10 minutes and will therefore be inappropriate for use with a particular chemical.Users can also crossreference official chemical names with their common alternative names. For a copy of the chart contact Marigold Industrial.

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