In many cases, elements that harm the hands can be easily avoided. Harsh environmental conditions, failure to quickly and properly remove soils from the skin, and drying out the skin by over-washing with an ineffective soap are three major causes of dermal damage, experts say. And the National Safety Council reports more than 500,000 disabling injuries to hands and fingers occur to workers each year. Still, protecting hands tends to get overlooked as a safety issue.
Some workers simply associate rough, beat-up hands with manual labor.
And many are unaware of the worse damage that can result when cut, nicked and cracked hands are exposed to chemicals. As technical sales manager for glove manufacturer Mapa Professional, Rita Meigs says her first challenge at a new site is often just getting workers and employers to recognize that they have skin care problems. Meigs starts by observing her new customers' personal hygiene and hand protection practices before making glove recommendations. To be sure, hand protection habits have improved noticeably since workplaces began complying with OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment standard, say most vendors. Tami Heavner, manufacturer's representative for professional skin care product manufacturer GOJO, says with more workplaces mandating glove use, she has seen less need for extremely heavy-duty hand cleaning.