Effects of Skin Contact with Chemicals: What a Worker Should Know

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  More than 13 million workers in the United States have jobs that result in exposure of the skin to chemicals, such as in these fields: 1. Agriculture 2.Manufacturing 3.Services 4.Transportation/Utilities 5.Construction 6.Sales. Skin problems/diseases are the most common noninjury health issue reported by workers. The costs of work-related skin problems in the United States exceed $1 billion each year. Take action to reduce or control your exposure: MODIFY: Modify a process to eliminate chemical exposure. For example, rather than hand-cleaning metal parts during repair operations, use a mechanical cleaner. Modify work practices to reduce or eliminate skin contact with chemicals. For example, rather than applying a solvent with a rag, use a brush. VENTILATE: Reduce airborne exposures by adding local or general ventilation. For example, use ventilation during spray-painting operations to reduce airborne levels of isocyanates. MAINTAIN SKIN: Clean skin with mild soap, rinse thoroughly, and use moisturizer. Dry skin is damaged and more affected by chemicals. CLEAN UP: A clean work area helps prevent contact with chemicals on work surfaces. PPE: Use personal protective equipment (PPE) when exposure to chemicals is unavoidable. PPE may include chemical-resistant gloves, aprons, coveralls, and boots. For example, use appropriate gloves when mixing epoxy resin, to avoid skin contact. Selection of the correct PPE is critical. Check a source such as the "Quick Selection Guide to Chemical Protective Clothing." [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Carcinogens Chemistry Construction Industry Construction Materials Corrosion Dermatitis Environmental Exposure Hazardous Substances Hypersensitivity Immune System Inhalation Exposure Insecticides Irritants Neoplasms Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Skin Solvents Transportation

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• Keywords:
  Agricultural-chemicals Cancer Chemical-hypersensitivity Chemical-reactions Construction Construction-materials Corrosives Dermatology Environmental-exposure Exposure-levels Exposure-limits Halogenated-compounds Health-hazards Immune-reaction Immunologic-disorders Inhalants Injuries Injury-prevention Personal-protection Personal-protective-equipment Pesticide-residues Pesticides Pesticides-and-agricultural-chemicals Pigmentation Sensitization Service-industries Skin-exposure Toxic-effects Toxic-gases Toxic-materials Toxic-vapors Toxins Transportation-workers Traumatic-injuries Vapors Workers

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• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2011199
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Pamphlet or Booklet
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-17
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039708
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2012-100229
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2011-199, 2011 Aug; :1-17
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1cb5962c3d10ddb755f8bd3943064cbc8535379dbb225a693ac5e1182b5fc9f4e009f001ce3da06acdcff06b69cb635d6d0657dfed0de0273b8835a0a76aff82
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/209986/cdc_209986_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 811.86 KB ]