study guide

1

 Skin

 Epidermis

 Dermis

 Subcutaneous

 Factors affecting skin response to hazards

 Skin’s physical condition

 Environmental conditions

 Skin moisture

 Skin pigmentation

 Contact location

 Worker age and gender

 Pre-existing damage or allergies

 Personal hygiene habits

 Mechanisms of skin damage  Physical damage

 Chemical damage

 Damage from UV radiation

 Damage from biological agents

 Occupational skin disorders  Irritant/allergic contact dermatitis

 Loss of pigmentation

 Hyperpigmentation

 Occupational acne

 Chrome holes

 Phototoxic/ photoallergic response

 Cutaneous anthrax

 Fungal and yeast infections

EHST 3700/3701:

Industrial Hygiene

 To identify the major anatomical components

of the skin

 To describe the function and limitations of

the skin in providing protection against

hazardous agents

 To describe different types of skin responses

to hazardous agents

 To enumerate occupations or activities that

pose skin injury due to hazards

 To list control measures for the prevention of

occupational skin injuries

 Function and anatomy of the skin

 Causes of occupational skin injuries

 Preventing occupational skin damage

Engineering Controls

Administrative

Controls

Personal Protective

Equipment

2

 Elimination of the offending ingredient or

material

 Substitution of the offending ingredient

or material

Skin Irritant

Not a Skin Irritant!

Skin Irritant

 Caution on substitution: Guard against

replacing one hazard with another!

 Replacement of skin irritant with a

material that:

 Poses serious eye and respiratory

irritation

 Poses potential fire and explosion hazard

Skin Irritant

Respiratory Irritant

 Process design or redesign

 Process mechanization to avoid contact

 Installation of a closed system to contain

hazard

 Relocation of workers to areas where they

will not be exposed

 Educating workers about

 The need to avoid contact with chemicals

 The importance of personal hygiene

 Provision of wash facilities and supplies

for personal hygiene

Handwashing facilities

Soap and warm water

Towels

Moisturizing cream

 Provision of wash facilities and supplies

for personal hygiene

 Washing hands and exposed skin: first

step when taking breaks, going to lunch,

at the end of the shift

 OSHA requirements for the provision of

hygiene facilities

Lead: shower facilities and clean

changing rooms

Sanitation: lavatory

3

 Barrier cream

 Applied to skin to create a thin film that provide

protection with little tactile or dexterity

interference

 Disadvantages:

 Topical application may vary in thickness

 Incomplete coverage of exposed

skin

 May wear off, be wiped off, and

be removed from the hands

 Hazardous materials may

dissolve in the cream layer

 Used to provide a physical barrier

between the material and the worker’s

skin

 Examples: gloves, apron, boots, full-body

coverings, face shields, goggles

 Chemical properties of the hazardous

material

 Condition under which the PPE must be used

 Constraints or requirements for the

personnel performing work while wearing the

equipment

 Natural rubber

 Polymers

 Butyl rubber

 Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)

 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

 Viton

Latex Gloves

EXCELLENT

Acetone

Bleach

Formalin

POOR

Asphalt

Diesel fuel

Gasoline

 Degree to which a material (i.e. PPE) lets

different kinds of substances pass through

 Manufacturers test PPE against common

industrial chemicals

 Resulting data in tables or charts

4

http://www.ansellpro.com/download/Ansell_7thEditionChemicalResistanceGuide.pdf http://www.kristerforsberg.com/cpc/

Average

permeation

time

RATING

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Chemical Manufacturer A

Glove Type and Ratings

Manufacturer B

Glove Type and Ratings

Acetone Natural rubber

Degradation: Excellent

Permeation: 10 min

Overall: Fair

Natural rubber

Degradation: Excellent

Permeation: 9 min

Overall: Not recommended

Butyl Cellosolve PVC

Degradation: Poor

Permeation: Not rated

Overall: Not recommended

PVC

Degradation: Excellent

Permeation: None detected

Overall: Excellent

Nitric acid, 70% Neoprene

Degradation: Good

Permeation: None detected

Overall: Not recommended

Neoprene

Degradation: Excellent

Permeation: None detected

Overall: Excellent

Phenol Neoprene

Degradation: Excellent

Permeation: 3.5 hours

Overall: Good

Neoprene

Degradation: Good

Permeation: 2.45 hours

Overall: Poor

 Chemical mixtures vs

single chemical

 Abrasion forces from tools

and equipment

 Perspiration  wet inside

of PPE

Actual use conditions do

not resemble the

conditions under which the

PPE is tested.

 Impermeable clothing  heat stress

 Moisture condensation on eye/ face

protection  vision interference

 Protective clothing layers  mobility

interference

 Gloves  limitation on tactile senses

PPE may introduce

or exacerbate

hazards to the

workers.

 To provide

adequate worker

protection and

comfort, while

allowing the work

to be done

5

 Engineering control

 Elimination

 Substitution

 Process design or redesign

 Administrative control

 Worker relocation

 Worker education

 Provision of wash facilities and supplies

 Personal protective equipment

 Gloves, aprons, boots, body coverings, face

shields and goggles

 Permeability