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February/March 2014 21 allowing substances to penetrate the skin, says Kudla. Keeping sKin protected To protect against hazards to the skin, many manufacturers supply specialty gloves, made from different materials and in various thicknesses. "The gloves might protect hands from sharp edges or from different types of solvents," says Kleppe. "Work- ers should be analyzing the health hazards and using the right protective glove for the tasks they're working on." Occupational hygiene, as well, is paramount in the manufacturing sector, Kleppe says, and many employ- ers supply specialized hand sanitizers and cleansers for workers to use before breaks and after work. Keeping hands clean not only helps protect workers' hands, it also reduces the likelihood they will transfer contaminants from their hands to their faces — and to their family members. "Someone doesn't clean their hands, hops in the car and drives home. Then someone else wants to go shopping, gets in the car, touches the same steering wheel, and you have cross contamination. You could bring that type of harm back home with you by that simple scenario," he says. Employers are responsible for iden- tifying hazards and controlling for them, Borwankar says. A good practice is to do an inventory of all chemicals and materials used on site. winter comes around, and they started getting fissures on the hands and wounds that wouldn't heal," he says. Along with the usual way of doing something, workers may also get used to the discomfort a substance causes, while easily dismissing any signs of harm, Yajaman says. "They'll say, 'I get a tingling on my hands when I use that stuff, but I get used to it.' There's a little machismo to it — not saying or doing anything about that bit of pain associated with work and not realizing that it's actually causing damage to the skin that may be irreversible," he says. When initial symptoms appear, employees should understand they can, and should, be telling their super- visor about it, he adds. They also need to ask questions if they are not sure about a substance's health effects or how to protect themselves, says Borwankar. They should be trained in WHMIS, know where the MSDS sheets are and read through them. "And if they need clarification, they can go to the employer and say, 'I don't understand. What is the potential for exposure, and what are you doing to help me protect?' It's their right to know that," he says. "Once you've established, 'I have these chemicals, these workers are exposed to them and this is how they use them,' then you can look at how to minimize their exposures," he says. Following the hierarchy of controls safety model, employers should then look at each hazardous substance and try to reduce risk through elimination, substitution, engineering and admin- istrative controls and, lastly, through the use of personal protective equip- ment (PPE). For skin safety, PPE may be limited to gloves but may also extend to safety goggles, a face shield and laboratory coat. changing employee attitude Inappropriate handling of hazardous materials often leads to skin ailments, says Wagish Yajaman, occupational hygienist with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, based in Mis- sissauga, Ont. Sometimes, workers continue practices that, though pot- entially dangerous, have proven safe so far, or they pick up new practices that become bad habits. In one incident, he recalls, work- ers stopped wearing gloves after the gloves began to stick to the spray guns they used to put glue onto foam parts. Then, to remove the glue from their hands when work was done, they used a solvent — which effectively dissolved the glue but also removed protective oils from the surface of their skin. "Their hands were getting dry. Then, paying attention Occupational risks to skin health are underestimated, says Kudla. Employ- ers and workers need to be more aware that contact dermatitis can be debilitating. "(Work-related skin disease) is not really on the radar in workplaces. And unfortunately, it doesn't come onto the radar until someone develops a problem," she says, adding family phy- sicians, too, should be more educated about occupational skin hazards. "Often, we encourage workers to tell their family physician where they work, and what substances they're using." By simply paying attention, Kudla adds, employers take a major step towards preventing occupational skin disease. When they see a worker is developing a rash, they should exam- ine what the person is doing. "Particularly when you have clusters of rash," she says. "That's a red flag to stop and pay attention to what chemi- cals are being used in the process and how the tasks are being done." Linda Johnson is a freelance writer based in Toronto. She can be reached at lindajohnson@sympatico.ca. To remove the glue from their hands when work was done, they used a solvent — which effectively dissolved the glue but also removed protective oils from the surface of their skin. $ 50 BILLION A healthy workforce is productive and good for the bottom line. The Canadian economy loses approximately $50 billion each year due to mental illness. Attributed to Mental Illness 70% Disability Costs Simply good business. Learn more about the Standard. mentalhealthcommission.ca