Canadian Occupational Safety

22 Canadian Occupational Safety | www.cos-mag.com A laboratory worker in the United States was working with trifl uoroacetic acid. As she picked up a container of acid to move it, she touched a small amount of residue on the outside of the container. She was not wearing gloves. Several hours later, the palm of her hand and the inside of her thumb were extremely painful. She had suffered a serious burn and had to undergo skin grafting. Hazardous chemicals pose serious risk to the skin. They may cause immediate injuries — from irritation to caustic burns — or they can be absorbed through the skin and affect the entire body, causing potentially fatal damage. Selecting the most suitable and effective gloves is a crucial but complex process. While the material used in the manufacture of a glove is perhaps the most impor- tant decision, other critical factors must also be considered when selecting chemical resistant gloves. As with any personal protective equipment (PPE), it is important to start by analyzing the tasks involved, says Tallar Chouljian, occupational health and safety specialist with Hamilton, Ont.- based Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Describe the task and identify the chemical types, at the same time noting their concentration, composition (it might be a mixed chemical), temperature and pH and toxicity levels. One critical factor to identify before select- ing gloves is how the chemical is to be handled, she says. Will the worker need protection against only occasional contact with the chemical, against splashes or against total immersion? This will help determine the right length of the glove: should it stop at the wrist or go all the way to the elbow? The contact period, how long the worker is exposed to the chemical, will also help deter- mine how thick the gloves should be as well as how often they need to be replaced. The analysis should also identify other require- ments that need to be considered during the selection of the gloves, Chouljian says. For exam- ple, if the job requires fl exibility or touch sensitivity, it's important to select a material and thickness designed to provide dexterity. "If the worker has to use fi ne motor movements with their fi ngers to do some sort of task and the glove impedes performing the task, it might cause the worker to not want to wear the gloves and avoid that type of PPE. You need to fi nd gloves that not only help protect the worker from the chemical hazard but also allow them to do the task involved," Chouljian says. Skin exposure to the glove itself may cause a problem. Workers who are to wear the gloves should be allowed to try on potential selections. For example, someone might be allergic to the type of material that the glove is made of. Latex is much less commonly used in the manufacture of chemical protec- tive gloves today than it once was due to the frequency of latex allergies. Jeremy Slater, regional sales manager at Thornhill, Ont.-based Acklands-Grainger, says glove selec- tion must include consideration of other, task-specifi c factors. The gloves, for instance, may also have to provide cut and abrasion protection. "As soon as the glove is cut or punc- tured, you're not protected anymore," he says. Material selection may also depend on whether workers are lifting heavy objects or whether the tools and equipment being used require work- ers to have gloves with a better grip. In some workplaces, workers are handling equipment that is extremely hot or cold and may need thermal, as well as chemical, protection. "You could be protecting a worker in the food manufacturing industry, where typically their plants are quite cold. Employees are almost working in a refrigerator. Their hands would freeze if you didn't keep them warm," Slater says. "At the same time, you might need a glove for a worker going A laboratory worker in the United States was working with trifl uoroacetic acid. As she picked up a container of acid to move it, she touched a small amount of residue on the outside of the container. She was not wearing gloves. Several hours later, the palm of her hand and the inside of her thumb were extremely painful. She had suffered a serious burn and had to undergo skin grafting. but complex process. While the material used in the manufacture of a glove is perhaps the most impor- tant decision, other critical factors must also be considered when selecting chemical resistant gloves. As with any personal protective equipment (PPE), it is important to start by analyzing the tasks involved, says Tallar Chouljian, occupational health and safety specialist with Hamilton, Ont.- based Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Describe the task and identify the chemical types, at the same time noting their concentration, composition (it might be a mixed chemical), temperature and pH and toxicity levels. One critical factor to identify before select- ing gloves is how the chemical is to be handled, she says. Will the worker need protection against only occasional contact with the chemical, against splashes or against total immersion? This will help determine the right length of the glove: should it stop at the wrist or go all the way to the elbow? The contact period, how long the worker is exposed to the chemical, will also help deter- mine how thick the gloves should be as well as how often they need to be replaced. The analysis should also identify other require- ments that need to be considered during the selection of the gloves, Chouljian says. For exam- ple, if the job requires fl exibility or touch sensitivity, it's important to select a material and thickness designed to provide dexterity. "If the worker has to use fi ne motor movements with their fi ngers to do some sort of task and the glove impedes performing the task, it might cause the worker to not want to wear the gloves and avoid that type of PPE. You need to fi nd gloves that not only help protect the worker from the chemical hazard but also allow them to do the By Linda Johnson FEEL THE FEEL THE BURN Don't Choose right glove to protect hands from toxic chemicals that can cause burns, illness or death Upcoming Changes to the CRSP ® Eligibility Criteria The BCRSP is a self-regulating, self-governing organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada to ISO 17024 (Personnel Certification Body) and by BSI Management Systems to ISO 9001(Quality Management System). Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals/Conseil canadien des professionnels en sécurité agréés 6700 Century Avenue, Suite 100, Mississauga, ON L5N 6A4 905-567-7198, 1-888-279-2777, www.bcrsp.ca Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals Effective July 1, 2018 the eligibility criteria for the CRSP ® certification is changing. Applications for the CRSP ® certification received on or after July 1 2018 will be required to meet the following criteria: • A minimum of a Bachelor's degree (4-year) in any field OR a 2-year (900 hour) diploma (or certificate) in occupational health and safety or a closely related field from a recognized academic institution. • At least four (4) years of experience where occupational health and safety is at least 50%, preventative, professional level with breadth and depth of health and safety duties. For more information on the CRSP ® certification, and the upcoming changes, visit www.bcrsp.ca

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