Introduction:
Occupational disorders are those that arise due to exposure to the workplace. Skin problems are the most prevalent among all occupational diseases. The high incidence of the same has led to the development of a toolkit that monitors the chemicals used and their hazards. Several surveys indicate that 20 to 30 % of all reported cases of occupational disorders are skin conditions. These skin disorders can lead to dermal absorption (absorption into the bloodstream through the skin), which would eventually result in systemic illnesses.
This led to the formation of a project funded by the European Commission, called the European Research project RISKOFDERM, which was composed of scientists from 15 institutions in 10 European countries to mitigate the issue.
What Is the Purpose of the Project?
These scientists put together a project with the following objectives:
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Develop a model for regulatory purposes or a yardstick to predict dermal exposure to workplace chemicals.
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Develop a toolkit that can be used for assessment and management in the workplace.
What Is the Toolkit?
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The toolkit is for the assessment of the risk and its management; it helps the users to assess chemicals to determine if they are hazardous.
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The toolkit was prepared based on the analysis of major causes of dermal hazards and exposure. The results were formulated to form a decision tree.
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The user of the toolkit, based on several questions about the concerning chemicals, can determine whether it is hazardous.
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The user can enter information regarding the chemical, and the toolkit will segregate the information into broad categories that help to roughly estimate the risk.
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The local effects and systemic effects are dealt with separately.
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The toolkit is not a precise indicator but rather a method that informs the user of the potentially harmful effects of dermal exposure and encourages the user to be aware while handling the chemicals and thereby bringing about control of the hazards.
What Is the Intention of the Toolkit?
The toolkit is for the assessment and management of hazards and exposure to workplace chemicals. It helps the user to determine if the chemical poses a threat to dermal or systemic health. The user feeds information that is sorted into categories of hazards. After going through this, the user is advised to control the risk.
What Are the Applications of the Toolkit?
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It can determine health risks from workplace products, both from single substances or mixtures.
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It can be used for different purposes such as:
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Recommendation of Safety Precautions: After evaluating the usage of a specific product in different situations, recommendations may be made in regard to it to make workers safe and aware.
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Raising Awareness: The workers can be made aware of the potential dangers of dermal exposure and penetration that can often lead to systemic disorders.
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Assessment of the Workplace: The workplace may be analyzed for control measures taken, precautions established, technical protection implemented for the reduction of exposure and damage, and dermal penetration.
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Where Is the Toolkit Used?
The toolkit is designed to be used by employers, technical personnel, safety supervisors, and consultants. It can be used in companies of varying sizes, but mainly in small and medium-sized capacities.
These companies should have access to:
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Hazard labels on the packages.
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Supplementary basic information may be given on request.
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Safety data sheets.
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Easy access to supplementary data.
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Information on exposure in the working environment.
The toolkit may also be used by:
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Hairdressers.
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Car painters.
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Construction workers.
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Safety professionals.
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Health professionals.
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Health surveillance services.
Health and safety workers may use the toolkit as a guideline while setting safety rules for other at-risk employees (such as hairdressers and car painters). In such a situation, information is collected from different areas and a number of sources during surveillance, surveys, and inspections. This is done as information may not be readily available.
The toolkit is not for experts or qualified professionals in occupational hygiene, scientists, physicians, or toxicologists who are otherwise capable of carrying out in-depth risk assessments. However, they may use it as an initial estimate to assess hazards, dermal exposure, dermal penetration, and systemic complications.
What Is the Basic Structure of the Toolkit?
The toolkit is designed by:
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Hazard: The first step is assessing the intrinsic nature of the chemical. If the chemical is dangerous when a person is exposed to it, then it can be avoided and need not pass on to the step of exposure assessment. The toolkit assesses the intrinsic toxicity of the substance. The hazard score determines both the local as well as systemic effects of the chemical.
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Exposure: Exposure is independent of hazard. Toolkit determines the specific exposure for a specific situation. First, the value for a typical exposure is assigned, then it is modified for a specific exposure. The impact of a given exposure is different depending on whether the effect is local or systemic.
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Risk: Risk is a combination of hazard and exposure. This helps to understand that high hazard with low exposure and low hazard with prolonged exposure is equally harmful. Especially when searching for a low toxicity substitute. This gives the picture of overall risk.
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Control: If the assessment gives the result of a high hazard, then control actions are advised. Either by reducing the hazard or by reducing the exposure. Thus a new assessment is formed. Hazard is reduced by substitution, and exposure is reduced by personal protection equipment and organizational reforms.
What Are the Limitations of the Toolkit?
Not uniform: As the input data might vary, the result might also greatly differ; hence it is not uniform. Also, users may provide rough input data that might not fetch the correct results.
Toolkit only provides a rough estimate. So in the event of a doubt arising, a detailed investigation might be required. In the case of mixing or dilution, if the supplier does not provide adequate data, the hazard cannot be calculated. Hazards pertaining to new substances cannot be determined.
Conclusion:
The toolkit enables its user to determine the risk of chemicals one may encounter in the workplace. It gives an estimation of the hazard and its complications. The user inputs data, which is then categorized, and advice for safety is given. This enables the user to prevent local and systemic harmful effects of the chemical. But the toolkit is mere as an estimation and not precise; therefore, given the limitations, chemicals with severe hazards are exempted because of the possibility of very serious and sometimes fatal consequences to the personnel involved. The toolkit has a list of chemicals labeled as not suitable. Although it may need refinement, it helps in the preliminary classification of workplace materials which can greatly help in reducing occupational skin disorders.
