Skin Protection A

Protective agents are of several kinds to meet different requirements according to skin condition (dry, low in oil, chapped vs. moist, oily, elastic), and the type of noxious stimuli (prolonged exposure to water, regular use of alcohol-containing disinfectants, intense solar irradiation). Distinctions among protective agents are based upon consistency, physicochemical properties (lipophilic, hydrophilic), and the presence of additives. 

Dusting powders are sprinkled onto the intact skin and consist of talc, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide (silica), or starch. They adhere to the skin, forming a low-friction film that attenuates mechanical irritation. Powders exert a drying (evaporative) effect. 

Lipophilic ointment (oil ointment) consists of a lipophilic base (paraf n oil, petroleum jelly, wool fat) and may contain up to 10% powder materials, such as zinc oxide, titanium oxide, starch, or a mixture of these. Emulsifying ointments are made of paraf ns and an emulsifying wax, and are miscible with water. 

Paste (oil paste) is an ointment containing more than 10% pulverized constituents. 

Lipophilic (oily) cream is an emulsion of water in oil, easier to spread than oil paste or oil ointment. 

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The main hazards of working with corrosives are skin exposure and inhalation. Chemists should wear gloves when working with corrosive solutions. The type of glove depends on the specific corrosive and the concentration in solution. For common acids and bases, nitrile gloves will be adequate for skin protection. A glove compatibility chart should be consulted to determine the appropriate gloves for other corrosives. Most corrosives should be handled in a chemical hood. 

The xylenes are mildly toxic. They ate mild skin irritants, and skin protection and the cannister-type masks are recommended. The oral LD q value for rats is 4300 ppm. The STEL for humans is 150 ppm. Xylenes show only mild toxicity to fish, and the threshold limit for crop damage is 800—2400 ppm. Biodegradation with activated seed is slow, and sewage digestion is impaired by 0.1% concentrations. In the event of a spih, oil-skimming equipment, adsorbent foam, and charcoal maybe used for cleanup. 

Safety Standards. Protection from laser beams involves not allowing laser radiation at a level higher than a maximum permissible exposure level to strike the human body. Maximum permissible exposure levels for both eyes and skin have been defined (55—57). One of the most common safety measures is the use of protective eyewear. Manufacturers of laser safety eyewear commonly specify the attenuation at various laser wavelengths. Under some conditions safety eyewear has been known to shatter or to be burned through (58), and it is not adequate to protect a wearer staring directly into the beam. 

Personnel involved in the handling of methanol require eye and skin protection from the irritating properties of methanol in the event of a spill. Contact lenses should not be worn, since plastic lens materials may absorb and concentrate methanol against the eye. Additional respiratory protection is not required with adequate local explosion-proof ventilation. 

OC-Bisabolol. a-Bisabolol (99) occurs in camomile flowers and has been shown to be the main antiphlogistic and spasmolytic component of the European medicinal plant. The use of bisabolol is recommended mainly for its pharmacodynamic properties in cosmetic preparations for skin protection. 

The smoothing or emoUient properties of creams and lotions are critical for making these emulsions the preferred vehicles for facial skin moisturizers, skin protectants, and rejuvenating products. On the body, emoUients provide smoothness and tend to reduce the sensation of tightness commonly associated with dryness and loss of Hpids from the skin. Although a wide variety of plant and animal extracts have been claimed to impart skin benefits, vaUd scientific evidence for efficacy has been provided only rarely. 

The abihty of skin-care products to supply moisture to the skin remains in question. In the United States, however, the OTC panel has sanctioned the use of skin-protectant ingredients such as glycerin, which may play roles in the skin s water ecology. Products for the care of body skin are similar to preparations formulated for the care of facial skin. Products for overall body care should leave a dry, satinlike finish even though relatively high levels of... 

PABA is taken orally in vitamin supplements. However, its widest use is as a sunscreen. Taking it orally will not protect a person from the sun as a sunscreen PABA acts as a topical dye that absorbs ultraviolet light. To block UV rays from the sun, a person needs to paint it directly onto the skin. 

Skin protection may necessitate use of full protective suits. When catalysts are dumped from reactors at the end of a process they may prove to be extremely dusty as a result of reduction in particle size during the reaction process. Again, depending upon the nature of the hazard, ventilation, personal protection, and use of temporary enclosures to prevent contamination of the general work area should be considered. Some catalysts are pyrophoric and some catalyst beds are inerted with the added possibility of fire, or release of inerting gas into the workplace which may cause asphyxiation. 

Cover skin with a sunscreen lotion with a skin protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, protecting against UV radiation (both UVA and UVB). 

See Figure 1.) If re-entry into certain crops, regularly or occasionally, cannot be excluded, but a "worst-case" risk assessment shows that exposure remains below the tolerable level even without specific skin protection measures, it will be sufficient to include the minimum label instruction, point 1 ... 

Benzidine is a known carcinogen and should be handled with extreme caution (Fourth Annual Report on Carcinogens NTP 85-002, 1985, p. 37). The solid and its vapors may be rapidly absorbed through skin. Protective clothing and the use of a fume hood are... 

Structural firefighters protective clothing is recommended for fire situations only it is not effective in spill situations or release events. If chemical protective clothing is not available and it is necessary to rescue casualties from a contaminated area, then structural firefighters gear will provide very limited skin protection against nerve agent vapors. Contact with liquids, solids, and solutions should be avoided. 

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