Protecting your Hands – Using Derma Shield and/or Nitrile Gloves During Repairs

Why does Delta Kits recommend protection for your hands while doing windshield repairs? It’s simple; there are small amounts of acrylic acid in windshield repair resin. Acrylic acid is a colorless, corrosive liquid that is often used as an adhesive, which is why it works so well when repairing glass.

As you might be able to imagine, acrylic acid is not something that you want on your skin for prolonged periods of time. It can be absorbed through skin contact, and effects of acrylic acid on human health depend on how much acid is present, and the length and frequency of exposure. Effects also depend on the health of the person when exposure occurs (this pertains to all of you who have sensitive skin!). Direct contact with acrylic acid can irritate the skin and eyes.

Many high quality windshield repair resins contain a small quantity of acrylic acid. However, there are some low quality resins that contain a larger quantity of acrylic acid. While the acrylic acid in windshield repair resin does not cause problems for the majority of windshield repair technicians, best practice is to use a barrier cream such as Derma Shield, and/or nitrile gloves.

Derma Shield is a non-greasy, non-toxic, temporary skin protectant that can be applied to any area of the skin. Within 4 to 5 minutes after proper application, Derma Shield becomes an invisible protectant that bonds to the skin and helps protect it up to 5 hours, even after repeated washings. It shields skin against chemicals and provides temporary protection against most acids and bases, organic and inorganic.

Nitrile gloves are the choice of many windshield repair technicians. We often get the question, “Why nitrile and not latex?” Well, nitrile provides better chemical resistance. Latex gloves permit chemicals, in this case acrylic acid, to penetrate the rubber and can trap the chemical against your skin. For those who have very sensitive skin we would even recommend using a barrier cream AND wearing nitrile gloves. Many companies sell nitrile gloves, but Harbor Freight and Amazon.com are both great places to purchase them.

Now that you know how to protect your skin on the job, get out there and do some safe repairs!

For more questions regarding skin protection when repairing windshields, or to purchase Derma Shield, call us at 800-548-8332 and visit our website at Deltakits.com.