Latex allergy often creates irritant contact dermatitis. This is often seen in association with wearing rubber gloves, and can create eczema symptoms, itching and redness and scaling.
Latex can be also found in baby bottle nipples and dummies, gloves, adhesive tape, carpets, chewing gum, balloons, goggles, hot water bottles, elastic in clothes, scuba diving wetsuits and rubber grips, boots, toys, and tyres.
If you are allergic to latex you, you are likely to have symptoms after touching latex rubber products such as gloves or balloons. You can also have symptoms if you breath in latex particles that are released into the air when someone removes latex gloves.
What you can do to prevent allergic reactions:
• Request gloves that do not contain latex but still offer protection against infectious materials
• If you think it could be work related ask your manager to refer you to Occupational Health
• Make sure that appropriate first aid can be given should anyone suffer an allergic reaction
• Your risk assessment should indicate whether there is a need for adrenaline / epi-pen due to a past reaction (mild or severe)