Protective gloves for health care workers, personnel of the beauty sector and cleaners with a sensitization to thiurams and dithiocarbamates [Schutzhandschuhe für den gesundheits-, beauty- und reinigungssektor bei bestehender sensibilisierung gegenüber thiuramen und dithiocarbamaten]

Abstract

Thiurams and dithiocarbamates are used as vulcanizing agents in the production process of protective gloves made of natural or synthetic rubber. They still involve a certain risk for the personnel of the above mentioned professional branches to cause occupational contact dermatitis although many manufacturers of protective gloves replaced these allergens with other vulcanizing substances. Protective gloves are an essential element of the personal protective equipment which protect the user from wetness, microorganisms, and chemicals. If these protective gloves have to be free from vulcanizing agents it is a real challenge for occupational dermatologists, health education trainers, and safety engineers to find protective gloves which are free of these frequently used substances. Therefore it was the aim to produce a list of protective gloves that are free from thiurams, dithiocarbamates, and natural rubber proteins to support occupational dermatologists and health education trainers responsible for the selection of adequate protective gloves. Necessary information was provided by relevant protective glove manufacturers. The obtained data were analyzed and summarized in a comprehensive table. In this table 20 different models of protective gloves are listed that are free from thiurams, dithiocarbamates, and natural rubber proteins. 12 of these are disposable gloves whereas the other 8 models are re-usable protective gloves. This table may help to support the selection of suitable protective gloves for the above mentioned fields of work and hopefully the occurrence of new sensitizations can be counteracted. © 2007 Dustri-Verlag Dr. Karl Feistle.