Wet work and occlusion

Abstract

Wet work includes activities where the workers: Have their hands in a wet environment regularly for more than 2 h/day. Must wash their hands frequently (e.g., 20 or more times per day) or intensively. Wear waterproof gloves; the time of wearing such gloves is added to the time in a wet environment if no effective measures are taken to regenerate the skin. The irritant factors within the generalized concept of wet work are water, detergents, water-soluble irritants and soils that are specific for the various occupations, and the mechanical factor (e.g., rubbing while cleaning or hand-washing). Water and occlusion are themselves weak irritants but exert a tandem action to potentate the irritant effects of detergents and other factors. Effective preventive measures can be implemented against the irritant effects of wet work. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2000, 2012.