Skin protection adapted to the activities is an important part of comprehensive occupational health management. But why is it important and what steps are necessary for good skin protection? Stuco supports you with valuable expertise and reliable skin protection products.
Because many occupations use the hands as a tool, the skin in these areas is particularly exposed to a variety of hazards. To prevent irritation, dehydration, illness and injury, you as an employer should ensure that your company provides complete and appropriate skin protection.
In this article, we look at the following skin protection issues:
- Skin Protection
- Skin Cleaning
- Skin Care
- Consequences of Insufficient Skin Protection
- The Right Skin Protection Plan for Your Business
- Frequently Asked Questions on Skin Protection
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Skin Protection
The skin is the largest organ in the human body. It performs a number of functions, such as regulating heat and protecting the body from the outside world. As a barrier between us and the environment, it is often exposed to many harmful substances. Especially when working in industrial environments.
Skin protection products are usually applied to the hands before starting work, as we know from sun protection, for example. Skin protection ensures that certain substances such as water, oils or cooling lubricants are less harmful to the skin. However, these creams, ointments and lotions cannot match the protection offered by protective gloves.
Gloves are typically used when the skin is exposed to the following hazards:
- Chemical hazards: Gloves must be worn when hands come into contact with chemicals such as acids or solvents during work.
- Physical hazards: Glass wool, metal dust or wood chippings can cause severe abrasion of the skin, which can be avoided by wearing protective gloves. Physical hazards also include thermal or electrical stress and the risk of cuts from sharp edges and corners.
- Biological hazards: Moulds, yeasts, viruses or parasites such as lice and mites are among the biological hazards that also require skin protection in the form of protective gloves.
- Wearing gloves is also advisable when working with hard to remove substances such as soot, dust and lubricants. This makes it easier to clean the skin.
Protection from UV rays is another important skin protection issue. UV rays damage the skin, accelerate the aging process and, in extreme cases, can even lead to skin cancer. People who often work outdoors are at increased risk. According to SUVA, around 1000 people in Switzerland develop work-related white skin cancer every year. The most effective measure against UV rays is to stay out of direct sunlight, i.e. provide shade or adjust working hours. If this is not possible, the skin should be protected either by clothing and/or sunscreen products such as creams and sprays. Welding also produces what is known as artificial UV radiation (UV-A, -B and -C), which can burn the skin. This can be countered by covering exposed areas (e.g. neck, arms and face) or protecting them with a special UV skin protection cream.
Find more skin protection products here.
Skin Cleaning
Hygiene plays an extremely important role in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Employees are generally considered to be a risk factor for the transmission of germs and bacteria. In industrial settings on the other hand, it is not uncommon for employees to come into contact with substances that are difficult to remove, such as oil, metal dust, paints and varnishes or soot.
Thorough cleaning is essential to protect the health of your employees and to ensure hygienic working conditions. This means that employees need to wash their hands thoroughly several times a day and, if necessary, disinfect them - which is an enormous strain on their skin. It is therefore important to use cleansers that are as gentle as possible. Products with moisturising properties are particularly good for the skin.
In industry, however, conventional soaps and detergents are often not enough. For stubborn dirt, we rely on skin cleansers with added abrasives, colloquially known as "sand soaps". Instead of sand, these hand cleansers contain fine particles of various soft woods, wax beads or olive stone flour, for example. These tiny solids ensure that dirt is loosened more easily and also removed between the skin's wrinkles. Most of Stuco AG's industrial skin cleansing products are solvent-free and all are free of microplastics, which are banned in the EU, making them less harmful to the skin and the environment.
This frequent and intensive skin cleansing, combined with the stresses and strains of the work place, means that workers' hands are nevertheless exposed to a great deal of stress and need to be well cared for.
Skin Care
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Because both frequent skin cleansing and constant disinfection of the skin place a strain on the skin from a dermatological point of view, workers in healthcare, industry, agriculture and hairdressing salons (among others), increasingly have dry, rough or even cracked hands. Through such cracks, allergens, germs or chemicals can penetrate directly into the skin and cause further problems. This is why you should also provide your employees with high-quality skin care creams that support skin regeneration. Applied after work, they help to restore the skin's natural barrier.
Consequences of Insufficient Skin Protection
Statistically, almost one in six occupational diseases affects the skin. In the industrial sector, the proportion is even higher. When it comes to skin diseases, many people "only" think of itchy eczema or mild rashes. Every year, however, accident insurers in Switzerland register between 300 and 400 cases of occupational skin diseases that make it impossible to continue working.
Skin conditions such as irritant eczema or dermatosis can severely limit a person's quality of life. If dermatoses are not identified and treated in time, they can become chronic and force people to change jobs. The resulting absenteeism disrupts work processes in the company and causes additional costs and organisational effort for the employer.
You can find more information on occupational skin diseases on the Suva website. (Link 1, Link 2)
The Right Skin Protection Plan for Your Business
Employers are legally obliged to ensure the best possible health protection for their employees. A skin protection plan informs your staff about the respective risks and indicates which skin protection products, protective equipment and care products should be used.The creation of a skin protection plan therefore begins with risk identification and assessment. Professional risk assessment will enable the selection of appropriate skin protection products and protective equipment. In addition, employees should be regularly informed about the contents of the skin protection plan through training and instruction programmes. Only when each employee is aware of the hazards in the workplace and has internalised the relevant protective measures can the necessary occupational safety be guaranteed.
With Stuco, you have an experienced partner at your side to help you develop a professional skin protection plan.
Stuco has been helping companies implement health and safety measures for many years. As a result, we are familiar with exemplary industrial skin cleansing. Benefit from our expertise and contact us by phone or e-mail if you have any questions about our products. We can also help you with many other occupational safety issues. In addition to a comprehensive range of products for industrial skin cleansing and protection, you will also find high-quality safety footwear, comfortable work shoes and reliable protective equipment for almost every profession.
Frequently Asked Questions on Skin Protection
Where can I find materials to learn and educate about Skin Safety?
How do I create a professional skin protection plan?
A skin protection plan must be adapted to the conditions of the activities and the workplace. This is the only way to ensure that skin protection, skin cleansing and skin care are optimally coordinated. We recommend that you consult specialists in this field. Stuco will be happy to assist you in drawing up a customised skin protection plan and selecting suitable products.
Which skin cleansing product is right for my work?
"As gentle as possible, as strong as necessary" - this is the basic principle when choosing a skin cleansing product to prevent unnecessary strain on the skin. For light soiling, a conventional skin cleanser such asEcosan, Saniklin Soft, or Stephalen Fresh Foam is sufficient. For more stubborn dirt, use skin cleansers with dirt-binding elements such as wax pearls (e.g. Physioderm Active Pearls or Active Pearls Plus) or with abrasives (e.g. Topscrub Nature). Skin cleansers with solvents should only be used for very heavy or very stubborn soiling (e.g. varnish, resin, glue, paint or bitumen). Here, we recommend Physioderm Rapituff with solvents and abrasives, or the solvent-containing Physioderm Contra Color for staining caused by dyes such as printing inks.
