The latex cleanroom glove time-bomb
How many life science companies operating sterile suites are aware that one of the greatest risks they are taking is with the lives of their staff? The risk is that one of their staff will contract Type 1 natural rubber latex (NRL) protein allergy. Harry Kirk of Nitritex explains
Exposure to the proteins in NRL causes an individual to become latex sensitised. The longer the exposure time and the higher the level of proteins in the gloves, the greater the risk. We have not heard the last of the horror stories about latex protein allergies among health workers, with legal settlements running into hundreds of thousands of pounds for affected staff. It is inevitable that, among staff wearing latex cleanroom gloves on a daily basis, there will be a number who will, over a period of time, develop Type 1 latex protein allergy. This is an irreversible and potentially life-threatening condition. There is a proven link between prolonged exposure to the proteins in latex gloves and the acquisition of Type 1 latex protein allergy. That does not mean that all latex glove wearers will become latex allergic. However, in a study conducted by the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) in the USA, there was a significant percentage of latex sensitised employees who are predisposed to the acquisition of Type 1 latex protein allergy (see Table 1). In the UK the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called for a total ban on the use of latex gloves in the National Health Service, citing a figure of 100,000 staff at risk of developing a latex allergy.
Incident 1: July 2004 – Former NHS nurse awarded £354,000 in damages for personal injury, loss of future earnings and loss of pension. Now she must always carry an adrenaline injection in case she comes into contact with latex
It gets worse. Legal cases have been successfully brought against employers (see incidents 1, 2 & 3) by employees who have become latex allergic, on the basis that, although there were alternative gloves available, the employer was unwilling to change from using latex gloves. Claims settled in the USA for latex protein allergies had already exceeded US$5m by 2001. The problem The elastic properties of latex gloves provide the ideal combination of fit, comfort, grip and tactility, frequently required for working on delicate or fine procedures. Latex is also resistant to a wide range of chemicals, particularly alcohols, acids and fats. Comments that have been made about gloves manufactured from latex-free materials include poor tactility, stiffness, poor grip, poor fit, and low elasticity. Allied to these glove performance drawbacks, non-latex cleanroom gloves have generally been far more expensive than the equivalent latex cleanroom gloves.
Incident 2: July 2004 – Less than a month after Incident 1, an Australian nurse received $428,000 in compensation from the Illawarra Area Health Service for a latex protein allergy acquired at work
The solution The solution is to stop using latex gloves. This is easy to say but, until now, much more difficult to put into practice. Given the scale of the problem, continuous efforts have been and continue to be made to find an alternative material that combines the excellent physical properties of natural rubber latex without the ever-present potential to cause irreversible damage to some glove users through the acquisition of a latex protein allergy. A leader in the development of state of the art solutions, Nitritex has introduced a new synthetic latex material that mimics the molecular structure of natural rubber latex without the latex proteins. This synthetic latex material is now available in the new BioClean P-Zero Sterile Synthetic Latex Cleanroom Gloves.
Incident 3: September 2000 – a respiratory therapist in Wisconsin, USA was awarded US$1m for acquisition of work-related latex protein allergy
What are the advantages of the BioClean P-Zero Sterile Synthetic Latex Cleanroom Gloves? 1. Zero latex proteins 2. Performance characteristics (fit, feel, tactility) that are virtually indistinguishable from those of natural rubber latex 3. Excellent grip in wet or damp operating environments 4. Easy donning with damp hands 5. Competitively priced against current non-latex gloves
