Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)

Regulations

Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents, 2020

Annexures

Annexure 3 : Hazardous Chemical Agent Guidelines

Guidance on medical surveillance and biological monitoring

Applying occupational exposure limits

Absorption through the skin

Purchase

73.

In general, for most agents the main route of entry into the body is by inhalation. The OELs given in these regulations relate solely to exposure by this route. Certain agents such as phenol, aniline and certain pesticides (marked in the Tables with a SKIN notation) have the ability to penetrate intact skin and thus become absorbed into the body. Absorption through the skin can result from localised contamination, for example, from a splash on the skin or clothing, or in certain cases from exposure to high atmospheric concentrations of vapour. Serious effects may result with little or no warning; therefore, it is necessary to take special precautions to prevent skin contact when handling these agents. Where the properties of the agents and the methods of use provide a potential exposure route via skin absorption, these factors should be taken into account in determining the adequacy of the control measures.