When it comes to active health and safety during production, the skin is a particular priority. It is not only the dust, high temperatures and mechanical irritants that affect it. Coolants can also be damaging for this sensitive organ. Correct use of a skin-friendly coolant from the outset can minimise the risks of skin diseases and contribute significantly to improved health and safety.
Improve health and safety through a skin protection and hygiene plan
Employers must ensure that the potential for hazards in the workplace is kept as low as possible. This naturally also applies to the use of coolants. While gloves and additional protective clothing are part of the work equipment, they do not guarantee one hundred percent protection against contact between skin and coolant. This can be problematic for health, as contact can irritate or dry out the skin, or cause allergies or infections. The mandatory skin protection and hygiene plan indicates which skin products – depending on the coolant used – must be provided by the employer. Company doctors or protective product manufacturers can help in selecting the appropriate skin product. The plan allows production workers to see directly when they need to use which recommended protective product – divided into skin protection, skin cleansing, and skin care.
Skin protection and hygiene, step-by-step:
Skin protection
The skin protection products noted in the skin protection plan are to be used before starting work, after taking breaks and after every wash.
Skin cleansing
Skin must be cleansed using a cleanser (pH-neutral or slightly acidic and containing no scrubbing medium) before breaks and at the end of the working day.
Skin care
The skin care products cited in the plan must be used at the end of the working day.
Correct application is essential
Even when protection products are available, production employees must handle coolants responsibly. If coolants are used in the workplace, employees must not eat, drink or smoke, and must not touch their eyes or mouth with unclean hands. Washing facilities with warm running water and towels for drying must be available in the work area for cleaning contaminated areas of skin.
Production managers who choose a coolant with good skin compatibility can make an important contribution to improving skin protection, as well as health and safety. There are some factors to consider when choosing the coolant.
Free from amine and boric acid to protect the skin
Coolants that are free from amine and boric acid are highly recommended because they are particularly kind to the skin and have low allergy potential. At the same time, coolants free from amine and boric acid prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. As they avoid these ingredients, they are significantly more skin-friendly and reduce the potential risk to the skin, according to current research.
Employees and companies benefit
Due to the decreased risk potential, skin-friendly coolants are an advantage not only for machine operators, but are also becoming ever more highly rated by production managers and health-and-safety officers. On the one hand, these coolants actively help to improve employee protection. On the other hand, they can reduce illness-related and consequently, in part, costly absences.
Optimum health and safety as well as high performance
As the innovation leader, we at Rhenus Lub offer amine and boric acid-free coolants in our product range that are just as efficient. They work in favourable pH conditions of 7.5 to 8.5, and ensure excellent protection of the skin and a low allergy risk at the same time. The gentle effect of our products is also supported by tests that measure the skin’s natural moisture loss (TEWL: “Transepidermal water loss”).
