New thesis on occupational exposure and health hazards of cleaning, disinfection and hygiene practices

This thesis investigates workplace exposures and health hazards related to the use of cleaning, disinfection, and hygiene products across six different occupations. It examines how these practices, particularly those intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, affect workers’ skin and respiratory health. Using a combination of field measurements, questionnaires, laboratory experiments, and document analysis, the work evaluates chemical substance burden, hazard identification, risk assessment and reliability of workplace hazard communication (e.g. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)) to guide workplace safety.

Can you tell us about some interesting results?

• Although airborne exposure levels to cleaning substances were below occupational exposure levels, a wide range of skin and respiratory irritants and sensitizers were detected in the workers’ breathing zone.
• Workplace hygiene products used in non-hospital occupations contained more fragrance ingredients and known skin sensitizers than those available for healthcare workers, highlighting the importance of procurement guidelines.
• During the pandemic, an increased frequency of hand washing and disinfection was reported across non-hospital occupations. Among these workers, 20.7% reported hand eczema, and 7.4% of the total respondents developed it during the pandemic.
• In vitro skin showed that intensive hand hygiene practices impair the skin barrier and enhance the retention of contact allergens such as nickel, cobalt, and chromium.
• Although SDSs are the basis for workplace hazard communication, they may not be reliable identifying exposure to harmful substances, limiting their usefulness.
• Different sources of information may identify hazardous substances differently, hindering accurate risk assessment and effective implementation of protective measures.

What further research is needed in the area?

The thesis highlights several areas for future investigation and policy improvement:

• Develop standardized methods for measuring and quantifying skin exposure to cleaning, disinfection and hygiene products and practices.
• Conduct larger epidemiological studies to establish causal links between exposure to cleaning and disinfection substances and skin/respiratory symptoms.
• Further study how intense hygiene practices affect the skin barrier’s permeability and retention of inorganic (e.g. metals) and organic (e.g. preservatives) allergens in skin.
• Evaluate how SDSs are adopted and used in the workplace to improve their effectiveness in hazard communication.
• Revise regulatory frameworks (e.g. REACH and CLP) to make hazard classification criteria clearer, better account for combined and cumulative substance effects, and make full ingredient disclosure available.
  
  Link to thesis