Posted By Chris Packham At the seminar yesterday on dermatitis organised by the UK Safety Groups, Bob Rajan of the HSE stated categorically that there is no such thing as a barrier cream. HSE have also gone to print to the effect that these creams may not be used a primary protection. I concur. Several studies have also shown that such creams, when provided, are rarely applied so that they cover the whole hand. In my view this is akin to providing gloves with holes! At the European Society of Contact Dermatitis conference in Berlin last September two papers were presented showing increased skin uptake of the chemicals on skin treated by a so-called protective cream compared with untreated skin. I have been collecting evidence on this for over 25 years. I have yet to see anything that indicates anything other than minor, transitory protective effect and in most cases either no benefit or an increased potential for damage. Remember that legally these creams are cosmetics. If you then use them to protect a worker you are using them as personal protective equipment, but you will have no proper validated data on performance. Where would this put you legally. Finally, on the British Safety Industry Federation website there was a statement which ran: “Since all of these products rely on the user applying the cream correctly, this testing is not a practical proposition if “protection” is being sought. This makes it unreasonable for manufacturers to be held accountable for performance aspects that are outside their ability to control.” By contrast emollient lotions applied after washing are an essential element in any skin care system. However, lotion, not cream, as creams, applied regularly to normal skin, have been shown to increase the potential for irritant damage. No creams should be used underneath gloves. Most contain a preservative (= biocide) which, in the occluded conditions inside a glove could trigger an allergic reaction. Need I say more? If you do want more get in touch direct. Chris

Posted By Chris Packham Re this last posting: a) I have several studies showing that an emollient can work as well as a so-called "barrier" or pre-work cream in helping get hands clean. b) If hands are getting so dirty that they need a heavy duty hand cleanser, why is this and can nothing be done to prevent the soiling occurring? In my experience it usually can. I always remember when I started my engineering training being told by the instructor: "You cannot do clean work on a dirty engine!" I have since found that often taking a few moments to clean a workpiece can actually save time, as well as keeping hands clean. If not, then there are always gloves. Remember that a heavy duty hand cleanser is inevitably more aggressive on the skin and that the evidence is that whilst a cream may make skin cleansing easier, it may also aid penetration of a chemical into the skin. This may not be visible but could well end up causing a problem. Chris