Dear Chris
I am wondering if you would be interested in speaking at University of
Wales Bangot to compliment an HSE talk on COSHH in April date to be
arranged.
The audience will include Occupational Health & Safety professionals from
small and medium enterprises throughout North Wales.
Please contact me on 01248 382-575 or our Safety Adviser Gareth Jones on
ext 3854.
Many thanks,
Clare Sims
Occupational Health Nursing Adviser
Chris Packham wrote:
>
> Just to add to the debate, the following are extracts from our Technical
> Bulletin on latex allergy and the material we have used for talks on this
> subject.
>
> "The majority of skin complaints of latex gloves are related to irritation
> rather than to allergy."
> Nettis et al, Type I allergy to natural rubber latex and type IV allergy to
> rubber chemicals in health care workers with glove related symptoms, Clin
> Exp All; 2002, 32, 441-447
>
> "Our results showed that the large majority of skin complaints from gloves
> was caused by irritation rather than allergy."
> Stingeni L, Lapomarda V, Vis P, Undesirable effects from latex gloves in
> hospital health-care personnel, Journal of the European Academy of
> Dermatology and Venereology, 1996, 7, 44-48
>
> "Our results suggest a preventive effect on NRL allergy in dental students
> from the change to low-protein/powder free NRL gloves
> Saary JM et al, Changes in rates of natural rubber latex sensitivity among
> dental school students and staff members after changes in latex gloves,
> Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2002, 109, 1, 131-135
>
> "We suggest the use of low-allergen latex products identified by IgE
> binding, basophil histamine release assays and skin testing as a feasible
> preventive measure for latex allergy.""
> Mahler V et al, Prevention of latex allergy by selection of low-allergen
> gloves, Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2000, 30, 509-520
>
> Change to powder-free NRL gloves in the German health care system resulted
> in decline in occupational allergies. Conclusion was that this was a valid
> solution to the problem.
> Allmers H et al, Primary prevention of natural rubber latex allergy in the
> German health care system through education and intervention, Journal of
> Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2002, 110,2,318-323
>
> Following is an extract from the Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Group
> manual on hand hygiene in the food industry:
>
> "Paulson suggests that wearing of gloves may not in fact be as beneficial as
> believed. One study involved inoculating subjects hands with
> E.coli and then wearing vinyl gloves. At time zero, the gloves were sampled
> to obtain a baseline value and it was found that in many cases there were
> high counts on the outside of the glove, suggesting that E.coli transferred
> from the hands through existing holes or punctures in the gloves. A study
> found that 80% of vinyl gloves had punctures and tears. Considering the
> increase in microbial counts on the skin with occlusion, any breaches in the
> glove during food handling may pose a contamination hazard rather than
> control"
>
> There has also been at least one report of a type I reaction to a disposable
> nitrile glove. It is the type I reaction that poses the - albeit rare -
> possibility of anaphylaxis.
>
> The question that we need to address is whether, with all the hype about
> latex, whether we are at risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
> Latex undoubtedly provides the optimum biological protection, so where the
> gloves are provided for this purpose, to provide a glove with a lower
> performance on biological protection on the somewhat doubtful proposition
> that a latex glove might be a risk to health could put the employer at risk
> of having increased the risk of infection to the user. Could be an
> interesting legal case should the user then develop such an infection.
>
> Regards
> Chris Packham
>
> EnviroDerm Services
> Solutions in skin management
> For information on skin management, technical bulletins and information
> about our support services visit our website (www.enviroderm.co.uk)
> For immediate help e-mail us at [log in to unmask] or phone on +44 1386
> 832 311
>
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--
Clare Sims [log in to unmask]
Occupational Health Nursing Adviser
Occupational Health & Safety Unit
Penbre
University Of Wales
Bangor
LL572DB
01248 382 575
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