Hand lotion for production employees
Hi everyone, it looks like it has been several years since the last time someone posted about this, so I am wondering if the thinking has evolved on this issue or if anything has changed.
We are struggling with keeping the use of skin care lotions out of our plant. We have several employees who have severe skin reactions to something in our processing environment, we have changed the handsoap we use and all of our employees wear chemical gloves during cleaning and food contact gloves during food handling. Is there a skin care barrier that is approved for use in a food plant? Or some other solution that others have come up with?
We worry that if we don't present a solution to our production team and simply ban all lotions, we will have employees who are going out to their cars to put on lotion and then coming back in and not re-washing their hands... We don't want to start a black market lotion situation over here. :helpplease:
Thanks, all.
Becca
Hello Rebecca,
May i ask why you should keep those employees who have dermatititis problems into the production team , i mean why you don't keep those who have problems away from production area and do another job and keep the healthy one for the production area, is that possible?
another question , you mentioned that your employees using chemical gloves and that mean that their hands away from the products ,right ?
what is your product ?
Just to be able to help you.
I've read other threads from several year back where other manufacturing companies were dealing with similar issues. It sounded like there is no FDA approved hand moisturizer for use in a food plant. I am simply interested in knowing if that is still the case (last thread on this looked to be 4 years ago).
I am also curious how other manufacturers deal with this issue. We have discussed doing an education effort with our staff so they understand the importance of taking care of their hands when they are not working, to offset the drying effect of the handwashing when they are working.
Here are two of the most recent threads from this forum: http://www.ifsqn.com...r-food-contact/
http://www.ifsqn.com...-food-industry/
Thank you!
A. Ask your soap supplier for a lotionalized soap if you are using alcohol based sanitizer, rid yourself of it and what kind of gloves are they wearing? Not all glove materials react in a favorable manner with skin.
Also, you did not mention the condition of the hand washing water - hard, soft, straight from well, highly chemicalized - i.e. chlorine for instance to cause skin issues.
I recommend asking your soap supplier.
DEB makes cream for food contact use
https://www.debgroup...oderm-aqua-pure barrier cream
https://www.debgroup...olan-light-pure restore cream
You're much better off providing them with an option than controlling what they bring from home
Unless it's an FDA requirement, consider removing antibacterial soap and replacing it with an approved hand soap without it, generally the antibacterial causes the dermatitis AND is ineffective in the time it's in contact with hands
I actually encourage our employees to use lotion regularly in the wintertime as dry cracked skin presents more of a harborage/contamination risk. If the employees are wearing gloves, then I don't see the need to use specific lotion for food contact? Unless I missed something somewhere. I don't think I would want them to use scented lotions and whatnot for home... but providing them something similar to a medical-grade or hospital-grade lotion would suffice I think - as long as glove use is in place for food contact.
Hello Mohamed, thank you for your reply. We are a small manufacturer (25 production staff), and there just isn't another job for our production workers who have the skin issues. The problem they have come from repeated handwashing throughout the day, and during winter many of our employees deal with cracked skin on their hands, even with the use of gloves.
I've read other threads from several year back where other manufacturing companies were dealing with similar issues. It sounded like there is no FDA approved hand moisturizer for use in a food plant. I am simply interested in knowing if that is still the case (last thread on this looked to be 4 years ago).
I am also curious how other manufacturers deal with this issue. We have discussed doing an education effort with our staff so they understand the importance of taking care of their hands when they are not working, to offset the drying effect of the handwashing when they are working.
Here are two of the most recent threads from this forum: http://www.ifsqn.com...r-food-contact/
http://www.ifsqn.com...-food-industry/
Thank you!
Well ,
Till now i didn't see something approved from FDA but if your employees are wearing gloves why they wash their hands a lot during the day ?
also i think it is the time for these employees to contact with doctors to give them something Like Vit. C or something with post the collagen and hyaluronic acid to protect their skin.
Regards
Well ,
Till now i didn't see something approved from FDA but if your employees are wearing gloves why they wash their hands a lot during the day ?
also i think it is the time for these employees to contact with doctors to give them something Like Vit. C or something with post the collagen and hyaluronic acid to protect their skin.
Regards
Mohamed,
If someone has even slightly dry skin, it does not take much more to cause contact dermatitis. I don't think this warrants a complete separation from production areas unless it becomes a severe reaction, contact dermatitis is a common ailment. Obviously I'm not a licensed physician, but a visit to the doctor would likely just warrant instructions to keep the hands moisturized and avoid whatever causes the reactions unless the employee had a severe problem.
Mohamed,
If someone has even slightly dry skin, it does not take much more to cause contact dermatitis. I don't think this warrants a complete separation from production areas unless it becomes a severe reaction, contact dermatitis is a common ailment. Obviously I'm not a licensed physician, but a visit to the doctor would likely just warrant instructions to keep the hands moisturized and avoid whatever causes the reactions unless the employee had a severe problem.
You are absolutely right , but i mean that a visit to a doctor will be important to determine if the reason was the working environment or it is something normal cause of the skin type .
We use medline aloetouch nitrile gloves. They are supposed to be for people with sensitive skin. I also recommend they use cortisone cream especially after work. Our plant first aid cabinet has it. I've found it personally works the best for skin issues like severe dry skin.
I offer the following for the forum to comment on. I am inclined to think lotion is helpful in many cases but needs controlled. This is a draft and any comments are welcome to make sure I don't underestimate the risks myself. I do think I have covered the hazards in my plant and found some good rationale to back it up.
Lotion.xlsx 12.86KB 34 downloads
"Non-Food compound" registrations were formerly handled in the US by USDA, but were taken over by NSF in 1999. NSF still uses the USDA classifications, and they do have a category for soaps with lotions (E4), which are allowed only in restrooms and must be used only when the employee is leaving the plant. You can search the database here: http://info.nsf.org/...snclistings.asp
"Non-Food compound" registrations were formerly handled in the US by USDA, but were taken over by NSF in 1999. NSF still uses the USDA classifications, and they do have a category for soaps with lotions (E4), which are allowed only in restrooms and must be used only when the employee is leaving the plant. You can search the database here: http://info.nsf.org/...snclistings.asp
Fishlady, thank you so much for this background and resource. I had no idea this existed, and it answers a lot of questions we've had previously about non-food substances. I always thought non-food substances had to be "FDA approved" ... Very helpful, thank you. Does FDA make the rule about E4 only being allowed in restrooms and only allowed to use when leaving work? Where do we find that info?
For anyone interested / following this - We reached out to a local Deb rep last week and he visited our plant the next day. We are testing their E3 Antibac soap -- so far, it is a resounding YES from our production crew. They love it and can already tell a difference.
Also just received this info from the rep; would welcome any other insight on this that anyone may have. I find it hard to believe that USDA and/or FDA don't have rules or standards around this...
In 2000 the USDA standards were changed and the HACCP system was introduced. The HACCP system is more flexible and allows the adjustment of the product safety measures to the particular situation. The HACCP concept is a globally used quality concept.
The former USDA rating of hand soaps (e.g. as E-2) was not continued. NSF (National Sanitation Foundation, a non-profit organization) adopted the former USDA ratings and provides product evaluation and listing per NSF standards now.
The use of E- rated products such as antibacterial hand soaps is voluntary. The NSF White Book lists tested / evaluated non-food compounds such as hand soaps and hand sanitizer. USDA is not certifying / listing hand soaps anymore for a long time. Nobody can therefore provide USDA approved products anymore.
A potential replacement is the E-2 rating from NSF. Deb Antibac FH PURE is E-2 listed. The E-2 standard would be an appropriate replacement for the former USDA standard for products to be used in meat and poultry plants.