by Natalie Edwards

Contact dermatitis and other skin related issues are one of the most common reasons workers refuse to wear gloves. When the skin flares up, it's easy to blame it on the gloves. Maybe it's an allergy? The truth is, it's probably NOT the gloves, but a range of other factors causing your skin irritation - and YES, it may be preventable! Find out more...

Chemical and metal agents reacting with the gloves

The point of wearing rubber gloves is to protect your hands from dangerous chemicals, and most of the time the right gloves will do the job. However skin irritation can occur when chemicals such as detergents and cleansers, and metals such as nickel or chromium (which can cause dermatitis all on their own) are on your hands before you put the gloves on. They can then cause an aggravating reaction within the gloves.

Solution:

  • Make sure your hands are clean and dry before putting the clean gloves on.

Heavy-duty and waterless cleansers

Heavy-duty and waterless skin cleansers contain solvents and abrasives like silica or wood particles that can cause a lot of damage to sensitive skin. Other skin aggravating preservatives such as formaldehyde releasers, isothiazolinones and parabens can all be found in liquid soaps. Reactions often occur when skin cleansers are not fully rinsed, leaving behind chemical residues. Putting your gloves on over the top traps the residues, leading to increased and intensified aggravation.

Solution:

  • Try purchasing more natural skin cleansers/soaps, or ones for sensitive skin.
  • Also make sure soaps and cleansers are fully rinsed off and your hands are dry before putting the gloves on.

Wrong gloves for the job

The one size fits all rule does NOT apply to gloves. We all know that commercial chemicals/acids found in the workshop can be extremely dangerous, not just to our skin, but also to our lungs, eyes or pretty much any part of the body it can reach.

If you're wearing gloves that DO NOT protect against the type of chemicals you're working with, there's a good chance these chemicals can be absorbed into the glove and make their way onto your skin. What's worse - a lot of these chemicals don't just make it onto the skin, but are absorbed and make their way into the bloodstream. In some cases this may not be noticeable until the damage is done, with effects ranging from skin irritation to permanent long-term health effects.

Solution:

  • Always check the gloves you're wearing have been tested and approved to protect against the types of chemicals you're handling.
  • Where applicable, other PPE should be worn to protect any parts of the body that could be exposed to the chemical, or chemical fumes, such as safety glasses and respirators.
  • Be sure to thoroughly wash hands and any surfaces after chemical use to ensure no cross contamination has occurred.

Latex Allergy

In some cases, but not many, it COULD be the glove causing you issues. You may be allergic to the rubber accelerators used to process rubber gloves. These reactions can range in severity from a mild rash to a full on anaphylactic shock. So it's important to determine if your skin irritation is from ingredients commonly used when manufacturing rubber gloves such as carbamates, thiurams and mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT).

Solution:

  • If you're using a glove made from natural rubber proteins (latex), try switching to a synthetic alternative such as nitrile gloves.
  • If you are still experiencing skin irritation after switching to nitrile, it could be from the powder inside the gloves. Try using powder-free nitrile gloves.
  • If you're STILL having issues, it is probably from the rubber accelerator used during manufacturing. In this case, try a vinyl disposable glove or a glove that is free of accelerators.

DMF in gloves

Are your gloves DMF free? If you're not sure, stop reading this blog and find out!

Dimethylformamide (DMF) is a chemical often used in acrylic fibre spinning, chemical manufacturing, and pharmaceutical production. It is easily absorbed through the skin and can cause liver damage, skin problems, alcohol intolerance and is suspected of increasing the risk of developing cancer.

Solution:

Make sure your gloves are DMF free like the CRAFTSMAN 325's that have a natural coating!