FC03.5 Characteristics of wet work in nurses

Abstract

Background/objectives: The health care sector is known for its high prevalence of hand dermatitis, mainly because of the high exposure to wet work in nursing activities. Wet work can be activities with wet skin and activities with glove use (skin occlusion). A prevention program to reduce wet work exposure should be based on knowledge about activities that are components of wet work. We observed the frequency and duration of skin exposures to irritants with nursing activities.Method: Duration and frequency wet work activities were assessed in parts of the health care sector: 53 randomly chosen nurses were observed during their morning shift. Hand skin exposure to water, soap/detergents and occlusion by using gloves were recorded during 112 different 8‐hour morning shifts.Results: In nursing wet work activities make up 9%(dialysis ward), 16%(regular ward) and 24%(I.C.‐unit) of the duration of one shift. On a regular ward duration of wet work is mainly divided into 34% patient washing, 31% glove use and 26% hand washing. These main wet work activities have a short exposure cycle of 1.4–3.6 minutes. Hand washing, excluding the use of hand alcohol, and patient washing (without gloves) form both one third of the frequency of wet work activities.Conclusions: Wet work activities take up a substantial portion of nursing activities and are characterised by frequent short‐term exposures. Effective prevention programs on reducing the risk of hand dermatitis in nursing should primarily focus on the high frequencies of hand washing and patient washing. Using gloves in the procedure of patient washing will reduce the frequency of exposure to water and soap with 24%, at the expense of increasing exposure to occlusion by these gloves.