Catering

Eczema is one of the main causes of poor health for catering staff, such as chefs, cooks and catering assistants. Every year, the number of new cases is twice the average for all other industries.

Causes

Frequent contact with water, eg washing dishes and hands a lot, and some types of food, eg onions and citrus fruits are irritants that can cause hand eczema.

Tips to protect your hands against eczema

If you work in the catering industry, there are some simple things you can do to help protect your hands against eczema:

• Use a dishwasher rather than washing up by hand
• Use tools to handle food rather than your hands
• Use a food processor instead of chopping or mixing by hand
• Wear non-latex gloves where possible, especially when cleaning
• Dry your hands thoroughly with a soft, disposable paper towel
• Protect your hands by moisturising them regularly with an emollient (soothing and softening skin product), but use a product that is free from fragrances and preservatives - the fewer ingredients, the better
• If you moisturise during the working day, make sure you use an emollient that won’t contaminate food or cause cross-contamination - use a dispenser containing a hypoallergenic, non-tainting, fragrance-free emollient that does not contain nut oil