How To Protect Your Skin At Work

Skincare is part of most people’s daily routine to try and improve plus maintain the look and condition of our skin. This can be made much harder if your work environment is damaging it. Today we look at how to protect your skin from various elements to avoid damage and aging.

There are various jobs and different factors that can have an adverse affect on the condition of your skin. To fully protect you from these your skin should be guarded. 

One of the most common ailments caused is dermatitis (occupational dermatitis when due to work). This comes in two main forms; irritant and allergic. The reactions can vary but they normally come in the form of redness, rashes, hives, blisters and itching.

Irritant Contact Dermatitis arises when your skin touches a substance that damages it. The reactions vary dependent on the person and the strength of the irritant. A flare up can occur after regular exposure or contact once with a particularly potent substance. Familiar irritants include soap, oils, acids and alkalis, water, soil and chemicals.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis occurs when particular people react to particular substances. Sufferers will react to these allergens each time they come into contact with them. You would have previously been exposed to this substance and developed sensitivity to it. Who is sensitive to what substance and why isn’t known, must people don’t develop these allergies. Substances that people develop sensitivity to include gold, cobalt chloride, chriomium, metol developers, poison ivy, and nail polish.

When working with any of the above you should be provided with protection from your employer. If they fail to do this and you develop a condition you would be eligible to claim dermatitis compensation from them. Professions that are at risk include hairdressing, agriculture, printing, cleaning and the chemical industry. When allergens and irritants are being used they should be carefully handled with protection when possible. As water can even cause dermatitis this isn’t always possible. Hands should be thoroughly cleaned with and dried properly after.

Here are some steps to avoid skin conditions;

·         Use machinery or automate processes

·         Avoid using hands as tools

·         Replace substances with safer alternatives

·         Supply correct cleaning and drying equipment

·         Provide appropriate gloves

·         Replace gloves and equipment when needed

Gloves are the obvious protection from chemicals and hazardous materials. Although this is true selecting the correct gloves is very important. Wearing gloves can actually exaggerate the issue if they are ill fitting, made of the wrong material, wrong type and poorly maintained. Latex gloves are commonly used but many people can have an allergic reaction to them so this is a good example of how gloves can be part of the problem is not addressed.

The sun can have a big impact on the condition of our skin. Many people work outdoors and need to make sure they are protected. The sun can age and damage the skin and in extreme cases cause cancer. The main risk could be that the majority of outdoor workers are men and they won’t have a thorough skin routine. Builders, gardeners and alike can spend hours a day in the sun risking the condition of their skin. High level suntan lotion should be worn to offer comprehensive protection.

Written by Chris Evans of Atrium Legal, experts in workers health. Their aim is to help prevent injury and illness to workers through their writing. 

*Images are not owned by us, if you own these images and would like us to remove them please drop us a mail

Follow @shilpagandotra