Skin protection in the metal industry

In the metal industry, workplaces with a high skin risk used to be frequent. This has changed in recent years in big plants, where technological progress and automatization have eliminated many hazards. However, in many small and middle-sized companies without supervision by an occupational physician, high-risk workplaces may still prevail. Therefore skin protection plays an important role in this industry, with its focus on irritant exposures. From our own studies and campaigns, the following conclusions can be drawn: prework occupational examination and counselling of high-risk groups, especially workers with a history of hand eczema, are essential; skin protection plans have to be simple and should be communicated clearly; the use of skin protection seems to depend more on the endogenous skin risk factors of the individual than on the objective hazards at the workplace; the support of the management and the involvement of production teams are essential for the success of skin protection campaigns.