Winter Tip # 2
Anyone who has machined with water-based cutting fluid for a number of years will tell you that skin irritation can be a major concern, especially during the winter months when the air is dryer and skin is more prone to dehydration. A machinist might go all summer without experiencing any problems then suddenly, with the onset of winter, develop a severe case of dermatitis. The most common reaction is to blame the fluid but more often than not it isn’t the product that has changed, it’s the working conditions.
The following steps will help you to treat and prevent winter-induced skin irritation.
1. Maintain proper coolant concentration
2. Wash hands frequently with a mild soap
3. Practice good work and personal hygiene, launder clothes after exposure to fluid
4. Use work gloves or waterproof barrier creams
Many operators dislike working with gloves or barrier creams but having a protective layer between your skin and the fluid can be the single best way to prevent short-term and long-term skin damage. The gloves should be PVC coated and fit snugly, having several different sizes available is an easy way to encourage use. The barrier cream should be water and solvent resistant and readily available in a number of locations, particularly the wash station and restrooms. These can take some getting used to but the long term benefits are defiantly there.
Most importantly remember that skin irritation is a medical problem that if not treated properly can lead to bigger problems later on. All cases should be reported to medical personnel and properly investigated.
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This entry was posted on December 30, 2008 at 9:55 am and is filed under Rustlick. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: coolant, dermatitis, lubricants, metalworking fluids, skin irritation, winter
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December 30, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Hi,
This post ended up in my mailbox since I subscribe to Blogs related to Gloves. That’s my business.
I’m not sure if they apply here but as an FYI these gloves are pretty awesome for machinists and I think this is being addressed here. You can also link to a video to see them in action which may be helpful.
http://industrial.gloves-online.com/WK-CC395
I would be willing to send a sample pair to try out and see if they work in this application.
Thanks, Joe McGarry