Skin diseases at work: what do mechanics and metalworkers risk?

In the context of occupational diseases, skin disorders represent a particularly frequent case, especially among those professionals who come into daily contact with potentially irritating and aggressive agents on the skin. Among these workers are mechanics and metalworkers, whose role involves a wide range of tasks where the hands are a key tool.

Skin affections lead to numerous claims for INAIL benefits for occupational injuries and diseases, both concerning temporary disability and permanent disability in the most severe cases. Invalidating for workers and costly for companies, skin diseases of the hands must be prevented and averted with specific intervention programmes, involving both safety managers and workers exposed to the risk.

The latter, in fact, should be adequately trained and made aware of the occupational risks they are subjected to, in order to be able to identify and actively prevent them. Nettuno has always been in the front line for the dissemination of a true culture of health, which involves all the protagonists of safety in the company and makes them active promoters of the most effective prevention programmes of occupational diseases of the hands.

What are the main occupational skin diseases?

As part of their careers, metalworkers and mechanics employed in garages

expose themselves to extremely heterogeneous hazard factors, given the wide range of tasks these professionals have to perform.

 

These can be risks arising from the use of specific plant and machinery, but also from crushing, impacts with moving vehicles or equipment and accidental falls. Contact with aggressive chemicals, irritants, carcinogenic or easily allergenic products is also very frequent: they are the cause of the many skin diseases associated with these occupations.

 

When brought into contact with the skin, certain chemicals can cause contact dermatitis, i.e. inflammatory reactions involving irritation, itching, redness, formation of small blisters and pronounced skin dryness. These can be either irritant-type dermatitis (ICD) or allergic-type dermatitis (ACD), when triggered by immune reactions.  There are also airborne contact dermatitis and photodermatitis, caused by the combined action of chemicals and sunlight. Some forms of urticaria and acne can also result from skin contact with elements such as industrial fats, oils, hydrocarbons, lubricants, tar and so on.

 

Some dangerous substances can also weaken the skin’s defences so profoundly that they predispose the skin to specific categories of skin cancer. Nor should we underestimate the premature ageing and damage to cellular DNA generated by constant exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which can be either natural radiation from the sun or artificial radiation from welding equipment or special UV lamps used in industry.

 

 

What is the incidence of skin diseases?

It is estimated that, in Europe, skin diseases account for about 10% to 40% of all reported occupational diseases. According to the Malprof database, INAIL’s surveillance system on occupational diseases, the vast majority of occupational skin diseases (i.e. more than 80% of them) are contact dermatitis and other types of eczema.

It is precisely these conditions that are particularly prevalent in the mechanical and metalworking sector, due to the repeated use of skin-aggressive substances. Fortunately, trends monitored by surveillance bodies show that reports of occupational skin diseases have been falling slightly in recent decades, a fact that may be symptomatic of greater awareness of the problem on the part of workers and companies.

It is easy to think that the numbers are underestimated, but undoubtedly the commitment of institutions and private companies has recently been much more intense and aimed at disseminating clear information about the extent of the phenomenon, as well as raising workers’ awareness about the most effective methods to prevent it and protect their health.

 

The stages of prevention Nettuno

The Nettuno hand care programme for mechanics and metalworkers goes through several stages and includes comprehensive skin support, not only during work, but also before and after each shift.

Nettuno’s specialists have developed specific hand cleansing tips for mechanics and metalworkers, i.e. formulations dedicated to the deep but gentle cleansing of skin that has come into contact with irritating and dangerous substances: Nettuno’s pastes, gels, soaps and hand-washing creams are able to emulsify even the toughest and most technical dirt, to wash it off the skin without stressing it.

To carry out certain tasks, it is also essential to protect the hands before starting work. Today, there are not only the most efficient PPE available to workers, but also advanced barrier creams, such as Protexsol Professional, designed to shield the hands from oily substances, acting as an invisible glove that reduces the penetration of harmful substances into the skin.

Finally, it is essential to restore to the skin what it has lost during the most challenging work and necessarily frequent washing: the Nettuno line also includes high-performance healing creams, such as Protexem Rinnova, with its intensely moisturising power and designed precisely for workers’ hands.

The aim of this further step of the Nettuno programme, as well as of the entire Nettuno philosophy, is to promote the regenerative processes of the skin and strengthen it, so that it is able to withstand the most difficult daily tasks, relying on its natural ability to renew itself and resist challenges.

Definitely the best strategy to drastically reduce the incidence of occupational skin diseases and thus enable workers to keep their hands intact and healthy for a long time.

 

Prevention and awareness as new keywords

At the European level, there have been many initiatives aimed at disseminating greater attention to the prevention and treatment of skin diseases: from the issuing of directives and regulations such as REACH and CLP, to the funding of the StanDerm research network, a pool of experts in dermatology, epidemiology, health and occupational medicine that has promoted the dissemination of comprehensible messages and the adoption of good prevention practices within companies.

Decisive in this respect is also the activity of suppliers of health and prevention products and services, such as Nettuno, who aim to disseminate a health culture, especially in the most at-risk work environments such as those where metalworkers and mechanics work.

Fundamental for us is the creation of products formulated according to the specific needs of the different categories of workers, but also the professional consultation with managers and safety officers, to direct them towards the best options and build with them a customised action plan for the workplace they manage.

 

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