Absorption Prevention

Source: Guide to Hazardous Products Around the Home. Second Edition. 1989. Missouri Household Hazardous Waste Project.

Skin contact with toxins Absorption of toxins through skin

EYE PROTECTION: Eyes are particularly vulnerable to injury from hazardous products. Many hazardous products can cause eye damage if splashed into the eye (e.g., oven cleaners, drain openers, paint thinners). Wraparound safety goggles should be worn to protect the eyes from chemical splashes, mists, and vapors and scratches from particulate materials. Standard eyeglasses do not provide adequate protection. Do not wear contact lenses (especially soft lenses) when working with hazardous products. The hazardous vapors or mists may be absorbed by the contact lenses, holding the irritant against your eye and thus increasing the potential for eye damage. Safety goggles are inexpensive and can be purchased from safety equipment stores and many hardware stores.

Guide to Goggles - list of products for which safety goggles should be used when handling.

Gloves prevent skin absorption HAND PROTECTION: The skin of the hand and fingers is the area most exposed to hazardous products. To protect your hands, wear the right type of gloves for the product you are using. The specific material the glove is made from will resist different types of toxic chemicals. The appropriate glove prevents the absorption of the toxic chemicals through your skin and subsequent entry into your bloodstream. Nitrile gloves are effective protection against most household products.

Your gloves will last longer if they fit properly (avoids stretching and improper wear) and will help you handle the hazardous product better. The life of your gloves can be extended by washing them with warm water and soap and allowing them to air dry after each use.

Guide to Gloves - a guide to selecting an appropriate pair of work gloves based on the product to be handled.

BODY PROTECTION: It is important to protect more than just your hands and face when using some hazardous products (i.e., spraying pesticides and mists, applying solvents). Wear clothing other than your everyday clothes when working with hazardous products. The clothing will protect your body from contact with the toxic chemicals, preventing absorption though your skin. Also, the hazardous products may stain or discolor your clothing. To keep the toxic chemical from spreading to other clothing, wash work clothes separately in a washing machine with a full water level of hot water and detergent. Rinse the washing machine thoroughly after laundering contaminanted clothes. Line dry the work clothes rather than use the dryer because the high heat of the dryer can ignite any flammable vapors remaining in the clothing.

How to Handle Contaminated Clothing and Rags - Outlines procedures for handling and treating both light to moderately contaminated material as well as completely saturated material.


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