Occupational Skin Disease - Safety Talk

Occupational Skin Disease
Page 1 of 11
© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST075
Revision 2013 1.0
SAFETY AWARENESS KEPT SIMPLE
SMARTsafe Safety Talks – ST075
This pack contains:
• 8 - Page Talk Text
• 8 - OHP Presentation Slide Pack
Using the talks (Extract “How to Present Safety Talks”):
Plan which topic you want to discuss with your team.
Read through the script before you hold the meeting to
familiarise yourself with the material.
Start the talk with a comment that makes the topic relevant to
the team. For example, if you have seen a number of people
using ladders incorrectly, use this as your opening comment.
Follow the script but don’t read straight from the page. The
script is only a prompt and it will sound better if you use your
own words.
Ask the questions as they appear in the script. It is important
you do this because they are a lead in to the next section of
your talk.
Give the team enough time to answer the questions. Safety
talks can be boring for the team if you are the only one talking.
Hand out the information sheets as they appear in the script.
Don’t hand out all the information sheets at the start of the talk
otherwise there is a temptation for the team to read ahead and
not listen to the points you are making.
Collect the information sheets at the end of the talk so they
can be used again.
Safety Talk Mini - Delivery Pack
To obtain your full Safety Talk Delivery Pack go to: www.smartsafe.com.au
The full Safety Talk pack contains MS Office
Editable documents :
• 8 - Page Talk Text
• 8 - OHP Presentation Slide Pack
• 16 - A5 talk Handout Sheets
• Assessment and Assessment Answers Sheet
• Employee Attendance Register
• A “How to Present Safety Talks Guide”

Page 4 of 11
Revision 2013 1.0
“Has anyone seen a case of OSD?”
Hand out sheet 1 – A typical case of OSD
Before we start the discussion, we should have a common understanding of what OSD may look like.
As you can see from the hand out, the skin is inflamed, vividly coloured with covered with welts. This is
a typical case of OSD.
THE FUNCTION AND STRUCTURE OF SKIN
The skin is the protective covering of the body. It has an oily film which helps to make it water resistant,
and a slightly acidic pH of 4 to 6.5 which helps to prevent infection.
We see it every day, give it lots of attention in our daily grooming, and any blemish or abnormality is
quickly noticed. The skin suffers lots of wear and tear every day. It is damaged by the sun, scratched
and bumped, and exposed to bacteria.
Hand out sheet 2 – What do we know about the skin
The skin has two layers:
a very thin and tough outer layer called the epidermis (pronounced epee-dermis); and
a thick, inner layer called the dermis, where the nerves and blood vessels are found.
“What are the functions of the skin?”
Hand out sheet 3 – Functions of the skin
The main functions of the skin are:
to protect internal organs and tissues as it holds everything together;
to help control body temperature as it heats and cools the body; and
to detect sensations, such as pressure, pain, and temperature.
TYPES OF OCCUPATIONAL SKIN DISEASE (OSD)
Some words we need to understand are “dermatitis” (pronounced der-muh-tie-tis) and “eczema”
(pronounced ex-muh).
“Does anybody know the difference between dermatitis?”
This document is a partial preview. Full document download can be found on Flevy:
http://flevy.com/browse/document/occupational-skin-disease-safety-talk-517

Page 7 of 11
Revision 2013 1.0
OTHER CAUSES
“Can you think of any other things that may damage the skin in
the workplace?”
Hand out sheet 6 – Other causes of skin problems
There are other substances you may come into contact with that do not result in Irritant Contact
Dermatitis or Allergic Contact Dermatitis, but they can, and do, cause damage to the skin.
Physical Irritants
These cause mechanical damage or trauma to the skin. The individual irritants are often very, very small
but are present in large numbers. Grain dust, fibreglass particles, and the fibrous hairs on some plants,
are examples of physical irritants. The damage to the skin often looks like a rash, rather than an
abrasion, because of the small size of the irritant.
Climate
Several aspects of climate can damage the skin, usually when you are over exposed to it. They include:
UV radiation from sunlight can lead to skin cancers.
Heat can burn the skin.
Cold can cause chilblains.
Humidity can cause prickly heat rash and fungal infections.
Lack of humidity can cause chapping and cracking of the skin.
Animal Products
People who handle animals, such as veterinarians, or any animal product, such as butchers and
fishermen, are at a greater risk of bacterial, fungal, and viral skin infections.
The reasons are many and varied and depend to a large extent on what procedures their work involves.
For example, a vet is more exposed to flea bites which can become infected. A butcher uses very sharp
knives and cuts can become infected from the bacteria present in raw meat.This document is a partial preview. Full document download can be found on Flevy:

Page 10 of 11
Revision 2013 1.0
SUMMARY
The skin has two layers:
the epidermis is the tough, thin, outer layer.
the dermis is the thick, inner layer and it contains nerves and blood vessels.
There are two main types of Occupational Skin Disease (OSD):
Irritant Contact Dermatitis is the most common.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis affects some people and not others although we do not know why.
The signs and symptoms of Occupational Skin Disease include:
Signs Symptoms
Redness Burning pain
Dryness Stinging
Blisters Itchiness
Weeping cracks or sores. Swelling
Common causes of OSD are:
Water Cleansers & Detergents
Organic Solvents Oils & Lubricants
Acids Alkalis
Oxidizing Agents & Bleaches Plants
Prevent OSD by:
Eliminating the irritant from the workplace or using a less potent product.
Avoiding direct contact with the irritant.
Protecting your skin.
Treat OSD by:
Recognising the symptoms early and seeing a doctor.
FURTHER REFERENCES FOR THE SUPERVISOR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_disease
http://www.osh.govt.nz/order/catalogue/pdf/occskin.pdf
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0915/p1025.html

Occupational Skin Disease – ST075 © PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013
This is a typical case of OSD. As you can see, the skin
is inflamed, vividly coloured and covered with welts.
Sheet 1 – A Typical Case of OSD

The signs:
• redness;
• dryness;
• blisters; and
• weeping cracks or sores.
The symptoms:
• burning pain;
• stinging;
• itchiness; and
• swelling.
Sheet 4 – Signs and Symptoms of OSD

• Remove the irritant.
• Find a similar, less irritating product.
• Avoid direct contact with irritants.
• Decrease exposure by rotating jobs.
• Use PPE.
• Be aware of the potential problem.
• Take care of your skin with cleansers and
moisturisers.
Sheet 7 – How to Prevent OSD

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Occupational Skin Disease - Safety Talk