The law places specific responsibilities for managing
health and safety on employers and employees.
The Health & Safety At Work Act 1974 places a general duty
upon employers to safeguard the health & safety at work of
his employees. It also places a duty upon them to ensure that
others, such as patients, visitors etc, who might be affected by
the way the work is undertaken are not put at risk.
The Health & Safety At Work Act 1974 also puts a duty upon
you (employee) to take reasonable care of your own
health & safety and to co-operate with your employer in any
measures he puts in place to manage health & safety.
As natural rubber latex is a substance hazardous to health, your
employer must undertake a risk assessment of
its use, eliminating it where appropriate,
substituting to other less hazardous material, or
limiting exposure where its use is deemed absolutely
necessary. Employees should be be informed of the results
of this assessment and the measures needed to control the
risk.
Employees should also be informed of steps that are
deemed necessary to protect themself, other colleagues, or patients
with a known allergy to natural rubber latex.
You must also carry out an assessment to ensure that you
comply with your legal duties under the Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
(L5):
- To eliminate the risk where appropriate - gloves should only be
worn where there is a risk of infection
- Substitute other glove materials where appropriate - nitrile,
vinyl, synthetic
- Limiting exposure - HSE's policy for this is:
"Single use, disposable natural rubber latex gloves may only be
used where a risk assessment has identified them as necessary.
If they are used, they must be low-protein and
powder-free."
- The main findings of the risk assessment must be
recorded.
- Staff must be told about the risks and the appropriate
control measures for natural rubber latex.
- You should put a system in place to ensure that that staff or
customers with known latex allergies can work or be served in a
latex-safe environment.
Further Information
Further information about latex can be found at the following
webpage Link:
HSE Webpage -
Latex
Further information on the Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health Regulations 2002 (L5) can be downloaded from the
following Web Link:
HSE Publication
- L5