Dermatitis - Stage 4: Control risk

If you cannot eliminate a substance or use a safer substance or process, think about what you can do to reduce exposure. The focus should be on providing collective protection rather than just relying on PPE. Consider:

• engineering controls, such as physical containment and remote handling;
• procedural controls. Examples include:
  • barriers between contaminated and clean work areas; and
  • avoiding the possibility that others will be exposed by applying a hazardous substance outside normal work hours.

Table 1 Which jobs could be risky?

Example of task/profession	Currently uses (products tools)	Safer practice (Stage 4)	Managing the remaining risk (Stage 5)
Tilers	Epoxy-based adhesives, applied without gloves.		Use butyl gloves.
Bricklayers and plasterers	Cement mortar and plaster mixed on site.	Use premixed mortar and plaster.	Wear gloves.
Laying epoxy floors	Mixing the epoxy resin and curing agent in a bucket. Application of the resin to surface via short-handled tools .	Use pierced duo kits that allow mixing within the package itself. Use long-stemmed rollers and spreaders with splash guards.	Use butyl gloves for water-based epoxy or nitrile gloves for solvent-based epoxy.
Painting bare metal	Epoxy/solvent-based paints.		Use nitrile gloves.
Painting wooden floors	Epoxy-based wood sealer.		Use nitrile gloves.
Laying mineral wool/fibre glass insulation	Laying by hand with glove protection.		Wear long-sleeved work clothes that are frequently changed and washed separately. Rinse exposed areas of skin regularly during the work day.

Useful guidance

• It’s in your hands

• Skin at work