Cornelia,
Apart from biological monitoring, which monitors the total dose from all
three routes of uptake (inhalation, ingestion, skin) there is no 'test' that
I know of that you can do for the effect of isocyanates on skin other than
the standard tests once dermatitis has appeared. However, as I imagine that
your skin exposure will not be to pure isocyanate, but this in a mixture of
other chemicals (e.g. two pack paint) you will need a general skin health
surveillance system to monitor overall skin condition. It is highly probable
that other constituents of your mixture will be irritant and/or sensitising.
In addition if your workforce is wearing gloves you will need to consider
the adverse effect that occlusive gloves will have on the skin. You can
monitor for sub-clinical irritant damage using skin hydration measurement,
but there is no way of monitoring for upcoming sensitisation and/or allergy.
I suggest that if you need more on this then you contact me off the forum.
Chris
Chris Packham
FRSPH, FIIRSM, FInstSMM, MCMI, MBICSc
EnviroDerm Services
Unit 10, Building 11, The Mews, Mitcheldean, GL17 0SN
Tel: 01386 832 311
Mobile: 07818 035 898
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