PREVENTING SKIN PROBLEMS FROM WORKING WITH PORTLAND CEMENT
New guidance document issued by occupational safety & health administration (osha)
Introduction:
Portland cement is a generic term used to describe a variety of building materials valued for their strong adhesive properties when mixed with water. Employees who work with Portland cement are at risk of developing skin problems, ranging from mild and brief to severe and chronic.
Wet Portland cement can damage the skin because it is caustic, abrasive and absorbs moisture. Portland cement also contains trace amounts of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], a toxin harmful to the skin. Dry Portland cement is less hazardous to the skin because it is not as caustic as wet cement.
The purpose of this document is to make employers and employees aware of the skin problems associated with exposure to Portland cement; to note the OSHA standards that apply to work with Portland cement; and to provide guidance on how to prevent cement-related skin problems. Measures to protect employees from inhalation and eye hazards associated with exposure to Portland cement are also noted.
Who is at risk:
Any employee who has skin contact with wet Portland cement has the potential to develop cement-related skin problems. Portland cement is an ingredient in the following materials:
Ÿ Concrete Ÿ Mortar Ÿ Plaster Ÿ Grout Ÿ Stucco ŸTerrazzo
There may be many different tasks that involve the use of Portland cement. Examples of employees who may be exposed to the dangers of wet Portland cement products include bricklayers, carpenters, cement masons, concrete finishers, hod carriers, laborers, plasterers, tile setters, terrazzo workers, ready-mixed concrete truck drivers, bucket and buggy operators, and those involved in pouring and finishing work.
Skin problems caused by exposure to Portland cement:
Wet Portland cement can cause caustic burns, sometimes referred to as cement burns. Cement burns may result in blisters, dead or hardened skin, or black or green skin. In severe cases, these burns may extend to the bone and cause disfiguring scars or disability.
Employees cannot rely on pain or discomfort to alert them to cement burns because cement burns may not cause immediate pain or discomfort. By the time an employee becomes aware of a cement burn, much damage has already been done. Cement burns can get worse even after skin contact with cement has ended. Any employee experiencing a cement burn is advised to see a health care professional immediately.
Skin contact with wet Portland cement can also cause inflammation of the skin, referred to as dermatitis. Signs and symptoms of dermatitis can include itching, redness, swelling, blisters, scaling and other changes in the normal condition of the skin.
Contact with wet Portland cement can cause a non-allergic form of dermatitis (allergic contact dermatitis, or ACD) in sensitized employees who work with wet Portland cement. When an employee is sensitized, that person’s immune system overreacts to small amounts of Cr(VI), which can lead to severe inflammatory reactions upon subsequent exposures. Sensitization may result from a single Cr(VI) exposure, from repeated exposures over the course of months or years, or it may not occur at all. After an employee becomes sensitized, brief skin contact with very small amounts of Cr(VI) can trigger ACD.
ACD is long-lasting and can remain sensitized to Cr(VI) years after their exposure to Portland cement has ended. Medical tests (e.g. skin patch tests) are available that can confirm whether an employee has become dermally sensitized to Cr(VI).
Employees who work with wet Portland cement can experience skin problems, including seemingly minor ones, are advised to see a health care professional for evaluation and treatment. In cement-related dermatitis, early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent chronic skin problems.
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