Understand & Prevent Contact Dermatitis On The Job
The first thing on your mind when you choose protection for your workers’ hands and arms is safety. But it’s just as important to find a glove or sleeve that keeps your employees comfortable in hot or hazardous conditions. PPE that itches or irritates your workers’ skin can cause contact dermatitis – a painful condition that may cause them to roll down or even take off their safety gear to work unprotected.
Learn more about contact dermatitis – the most common type of work-related skin condition – and what you can do to prevent it.
What is it?
A very uncomfortable, non-contagious skin condition.
What does it look like?
It appears as an itchy, red, scaly rash.
Where does it appear?
Your workers can get it anywhere on their body, but sleeve-related contact dermatitis is most common at the wrist and in the crook of the arm.
What Causes Contact Dermatitis?
Contamination is the most common cause of contact dermatitis and is often found in work environments with airborne debris or chemical exposure. Contaminants like oils, solvents, metal shavings, grease, acids, etc. can soak through PPE materials and onto a worker’s skin. And contaminants plus sweat add up to a whole lot of irritation.
Moisture and contact dermatitis go hand in hand. Moisture-saturated skin breaks easily and the friction between PPE materials and broken skin makes itchiness and rash much more likely.
Cut-resistant materials that are made with fiberglass or steel can deteriorate over time. Fragments in the material may cause irritation for workers with especially sensitive skin. Heavyweight, tight-fitting materials also cause friction against the skin and trap heat, which leads to sweating (see sweating!).
Prevention Tips
- Have workers wash their hands and arms regularly.
- Launder gloves and sleeves more often.
- Try barrier creams.
- Find a material that wicks moisture away from the skin.
- Avoid highly absorbent materials that keep sweat close to the skin, making the problem worse.
- Choose a fiber blend like HPPE or Hyperon® that feels cool to the touch and minimizes sweating.
- Choose a glove or sleeve material that is lightweight and doesn’t hold heat.
Choose a cut-resistant material made with coreless technology. New material blends are now available with all the cut protection of traditional gloves and sleeves that won't irritate sensitive skin.
DX+ Technology®, the latest coreless technology from Magid, has allowed us to offer gloves with cut protection up to ANSI Level A5 and A6. These materials achieve high levels of cut resistance by using yarn that's infused with strength-enhancing microparticles instead of a traditional core. That means the gloves are 30% lighter than comparable gloves of the same cut level without sacrificing dexterity.
DX Technology® coreless cut resistant sleeves from Magid are 20% lighter than similar sleeves and are cool to the touch and non-irritating, too. Available up to ANSI Cut Level A4, these sleeves help resist abraisions and punctures while still feeling comfortable throughout your workers' shift.
The next time you shop for gloves, sleeves, or are looking for a custom PPE solution, remember to consider comfort and not just cut protection. And keep an eye out for workers who are suffering from glove and sleeve irritations!
Get coreless glove protection up to ANSI cut level A6.
SHOW ME DX+
