Posted By Wayne Voller
A friend of mine who runs a small cleaning company was inspected by the HSE last week. Despite my reminders to him, there were many things he still hasn't got in place yet, not even basic risk assessments. However one thing I'd never heard of before. He was told that he should only use nitrile gloves, and that latex gloves shouldn't be used because of the risk of allergy. Now we all know this is possible, but frequent health checks should ensure this is controlled, and everyoneis allergic to latex. Can the HSE really insist on this? And if NOT, why make statements like it which just serve to alienate employers from Health and safety?

Posted By Adrian Watson
Dear All,

Nitrile Rubber also causes allergies in some people. The simple fact is there is no such thing as a safe or dangerous substance; there are only safe or dangerous ways of using substances!

Whilst latex allergies are rare, they can be severe in susceptible people. You should first determine what the most suitable glove for the task is. If you determine that latex gloves are the most suitable gloves, then you should;

Use low talc ones; or
Hypoallergenic gloves; and
Keep a watch for adverse reactions.

If a person is detected who appears to be having an adverse reaction they should be patch tested by a competent dermatologist or consultant occupational health physician (FFOM) to ascertain if that is the cause and offered a suitable alternative.

It is up to the employer to determine what is suitable or not.

Regards Adrian Watson