From a data sheet that arrived on my desk for a "green" hand cleanser: Section 1 – Identification of preparation Trade name: Hand soap Usage: A ready to use hand wash Section 8 – Exposure controls/personal protection Skin protection: Wear overalls as general protection Hand protection: Wear suitable rubber gloves to avoid extended exposure. Section 11 – Toxicological information Other information: There is no data available for repeated dose toxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity or reproductive toxicity. Chris

Ahahahaha!! Well at least if your wearing gloves the hand soap can't hurt you! Thank you - that just cheered up my day!

A Kurdziel Your argument would make sense if I were buying the soap in bulk. This safety data sheet was supplied to a client who was considering providing this product for use by his workforce in the factory washrooms. I was also intrigued that a 'green' product has no data on toxicity. Chris

Hope you did not get on your soap box Chris?

Invictus If you read the COSHH Regulations you will find that any substance can be hazardous to health "depending upon how it is used or present at the workplace". The 'how it is used' is the key to whether it is hazardous or not.

Yes, different people have different reactions to body products, I for one am one of them, if I use something 'new' to the market you can chalk it down I will come out in a lovely red rash, mind you I dont take the advise given to try a 'sample area of skin first'. But as one of the posters wrote above I believe its with regards to the actual manufacturing process

So using hand wash to wash hands is hazardous 'I think not'!

Invictus Excessive hand washing is actually a major cause of occupational contact dermatitis in health care and food processing. So yes, hand washing can cause skin damage. It all depends on how often, what cleanser is used, how well the hand washing is carried out and whether action is taken subsequently to help restore the damage done by the skin cleanser in defatting the skin.

Argh - surely you need to carry out the CoSHH assessment to know what to teach people though? washing up liquid can cause really bad dermititus, If I had people washing up once a week in a small village hall I wouldn't worry too much - If employee people to wash up daily, I would write an assessment. The most worrying moment of my career lately - At a NEBOSH marking seminar - someone (who I assume teaching NEBOSH cert) stated - I wouldn't include PPE in my risk assessments - it's given out at induction. However lets not forget that Chris wasn't eluding to CoSHH and what we should asses, but pointing out the generic nature of MSDS under CHIP- the things people use to carry out their CoSHH assessments, no wonder skin issues are so prevalent! @Ian Would you bath in them :)

I know the regulations and how to use them, but my point is that if you have an assessment for every substances then there is strong possibility that people stop using them. If however you look at how the product is used and not work solely from the MSD's because quite often as you have both pointed out normally works of the basis of using a lot of a substance, then I believe the workforce benefits because the major substances or those that are hazardous to health have been identified. Your right you do have to assess before training can take place but you can read the label and tell people how the substance should be used. I would if required provide PPE, but I wouldn't issue gloves for hand washing agents, we would look at changing the product. When a new substance is introduced even for hand washing we issue a notice for employees or others on site to let us know if they are having adverse effects to it and monitor this. It's like anything else in safety, to be honest we were a company a number of years ago who were advised to throw out all latex gloves just in case someone had an allergy.