Many adhesives, mastics, solvents and other chemicals can cause skin irritation and allergy.   A skin protection program should (1) determine which products can cause dermatitis (2) substitute another product  that does not cause dermatitis if possible (3) limit skin contact by using gloves or other methods (4) provide handwashing stations (5) use good skin care practices.

Check the MSDSs for the products that you use to determine their ingredients and hazards. Look in the health effects section under the skin heading to determine the product's dermal and systemic effects. Products with lower solvent concentrations and without sensitizers may make skin protection easier.  In the protective equipment section the preparer may recommend a specific type of glove.

Glove manufacturers' web sites are useful tools to research the best gloves to use with a material.  If a product contains a mixture of solvents that have contradictory glove recommendations you may need professional advice in selecting a glove.

Glove materials are tested under laboratory conditions. If a glove type doesn't stand up under your work conditions, select a different glove material, use a thicker glove, or change gloves more often.

Glove material    Common glove materials include natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), vinyl, and Viton.  Each is effective against specific chemicals.

Breakthrough time   Breakthrough time is the number of minutes from a gloves initial contact with a liquid until that liquid become detectable on the inside of the glove material.  Longer breakthrough times are more protective. When calculating the usable life of a glove include all time periods from initial glove exposure – including breaks and times when the gloves are not worn.  The highest value normally reported is 480 minutes (one 8 hour shift). Gloves should be removed and disposed of before they reach their breakthrough time. Do not use a glove for chemical protection beyond one shift.

Permeation rate  This is the amount of material that can move through the glove material in a given amount of time.  A lower permeation rate is more protective

Degradation rate.    Solvents can begin to break down the glove material, allowing for large scale penetration by contaminants. Degradation rate tells you how quickly that happens.

 Other important considerations in glove selection are:

Length   Longer gloves can provide wrist and forearm protection and can allow for folding over the top of the glove to prevent liquids from flowing down the arms and to facilitate later removal.

Thickness  Thicker gloves provide great puncture resistance and longer use time. The need for hand and finger dexterity may require the use of thinner gloves.

Wearing Gloves

Do not wear watches or jewelry of the job. They can trap chemicals underneath.

Select gloves that fit well.  Gloves that are too tight will be uncomfortable and difficult to remove.  Gloves that are too loose may reduce dexterity and make it hard to do the task. 

Inspect gloves before putting them on.  Look for tears or thin spots.  Pin-hole leaks can be detected by blowing into unused gloves.

Avoid spreading contamination unnecessarily to equipment such as tools and tool boxes, or to phones, doorknobs, and other parts of the facility.

If wrists, arms, the torso or other parts of the body are potentially exposed to chemicals, you may need to wear guantlet gloves, protective sleeves, and/or an apron.  Use the glove selection guide to select the right material. If  significant chemical exposure to a large part of the body is likely, professional industrial hygiene assistance should be sought.

Do not wear gloves with powered tools that may draw the glove and hand into the equipment.

Removing Gloves

 

Hand Washing 

Use Ph neutral or acidic soft soaps such as Aloe Vera 80, Cetaphil, Dial, Dove, Gillette Wash, Ivory, Jergens, Lever 200, Neutragena, pHisodem, Softsoap or Caress. Dove, or Oil of Olay bar soap. Do not use abrasive soaps or solvents, including alcohol wipes or limonene based cleaners (usually citrus scented)  to clean your skin. 

Portable Handwashing Stations

Flowing water (as opposed to a wash bucket) removes contaminants from the skin surface, preventing skin damage.  Abrasive cleaning agents (like soap with pumice) should be avoided.  Liquid detergents that are near pH neutral or slightly acidic (pH 6.8) is reccommended to return skin to normal pH and prevent continuing caustic cement burns.  Some spray neutralizing agents are marketed for masons, and may provide additional buffering of skin pH. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide adequate washing facilities for employees that work with contaminants that may be harmful. 

Section 29 CFR 1926.51(f)(1) requires that employers provide adequate washing facilities for employees engaged in the application of paints, coating, herbicides, insecticides, or in other operations where contaminants may be harmful to the employees.

Additionally, 1926.51(f)(3)(iii) notes that lavatory facilities must be equipped with hot and cold running water, or tepid running water.  The Occupational Safety and Health Act additionally notes that premoistened towelettes, once allowed by some state regulators, cannot be substituted for handwashing facilities.

Employers must maintain such facilities in accordance with public health sanitation practices, including upkeep of water quality through daily change or recharge (or more often if necessary); toilets clean, kept sanitary, and operational; handwashing facilities refilled with potable water as necessary and kept clean, sanitary, and safe; and proper disposal of wastes from the facilities.

Reusing Gloves   

Gloves used for protection from adhesives, caulks, solvents and coatings cannot be easily reused without contaminating the skin. Dispose of the gloves properly after removal.

Gloves used for protection from paints and coatings cannot be easily reused without contaminating the skin.  Gloves used for protection from solvents may be reused within the shift as long as the time from first solvent exposure does not exceed the breakthrough time and there has been no physical indication of breakthrough or degradation.  Dispose of the gloves properly after removal.

Barrier Creams

There is little data on the reliability of barrier creams. Do not use barrier creams as the primary protection of your skin.  Barrier creams may be an alternative when gloves can not be worn for safety reasons. Where exposures are light and incidental, barrier creams may provide sufficient protection and, by making hand washing easier, reduce the use of harsh hand cleaners.  If redness or irritation results from using a barrier cream, discontinue use.