Debbie
You should also consider skin health surveillance. There is a considerable
body of reports, studies etc. that shows that cold conditions, generally
with low relative humidity, can result in skin problems. The usual problem
is irritant, due to the loss of moisture in the stratum corneum. (This can
now be measured whilst still at a sub-clinical level.) The damage may not be
limited to the hands (they may be wearing insulating gloves) but facial skin
can also suffer. One interesting feature about cold is that any irritation
may not appear until the person has left the cold environment. In a study in
Denmark, workers gutting fish only reported irritation some time after
having left the workplace, once their skin had fully warmed up. In some of
these cases, because of the time delay the worker had not related the
problem to his/her work, so questionnaires might not reveal the true extent
of the potential problem.
Incidentally, bakers are one of the worst professions for skin problems. In
a study we carried out last year for the manufacturers of E45 (Crookes
Healthcare) we found that the majority of bakers whose skin hydration we
measured had damaged skin, although in most cases they were not aware of
this. Bakers are also at considerable risk of allergies to flour and flour
improvers. (Incidentally, in the study hairdressers, children's nursery
workers and office workers measured all showed a high incidence of
sub-clinical skin damage.)
For skin health surveillance get yourself a copy of HSE's MS24 (Medical
aspects of occupational skin disease). (You might also find our Technical
Bulletin on this helpful - see www.enviroderm.co.uk
Regards
Chris Packham
EnviroDerm Services
01386 832 311
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