Title
Gloves and dermal exposure to chemicals: Proposals for evaluating workplace effectiveness
Author
Cherrie, J.W.
Semple, S.
Brouwer, D.
TNO Voeding
Publication year
2004
Abstract
There are standardized laboratory tests for chemical protective gloves that provide estimates of breakthrough time and steady-state permeation flux. However, there is evidence to suggest that these tests may not be completely relevant to glove usage in the workplace. There is no consensus about how glove workplace effectiveness should be assessed, although a few studies have attempted to measure the effectiveness of chemical protective gloves. We have used a conceptual model of dermal exposure to help analyse how workers' skin may become exposed while wearing gloves, and propose a new glove workplace protection factor (PFgloves), which is based on the ratio of the estimated uptake of chemicals through the hands without gloves to the uptake through the hands while wearing protective gloves. Mathematical simulations demonstrate that glove protection factor is unlikely to be constant for a glove type, but will be strongly influenced by the work situation and the duration of the exposure. This has important consequences for the selection of protective gloves.
Subject
Chemistry Safety
Food and Chemical Risk Analysis
Chemical protective gloves
Workplace protection factor (WPF)
Computer simulation
Mechanical permeability
Parameter estimation
Chemical protective gloves
Permeation flux
Wearing gloves
Skin
Laboratory test
Mathematical model
Protective equipment
Simulation
Workplace
Gloves, Protective
Hazardous Substances
Humans
Materials Testing
Models, Biological
Occupational Exposure
Permeability
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/meh060
TNO identifier
238044
ISSN
0003-4878
Source
Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 48 (7), 607-615
Document type
article