Wandelwerker - Der erste deutsche Arbeitsschutz Podcast · WandelWerker Consulting GmbH

#420 So geht wirksamer Hautschutz im Betrieb

·31 min·2 clips

In skin-protection training sessions, one or two workers quietly hide their hands under the table when damaged-skin photos appear on screen.

1. Wandelwerker Podcast episode #420 covers occupational skin protection with Susanne Kemme of Peter Greven Physioderm GmbH. 2. Susanne Kemme is a PhD chemist who has worked in scientific communication at Peter Greven Physioderm for 15 years, joining instead of larger chemical companies by choice. 3. The core thesis is that effective occupational skin protection requires a structured three- to four-pillar system and sustained behavioral change, not just product availability. 4. Peter Greven, founded in 1923 and based in Euskirchen south of Cologne, employs around 500 people and focuses exclusively on occupational skin-care and sun-protection products. 5. The company's product range includes skin-protection creams, skin cleansers, skin-care/regeneration products, dispensers, and disinfectants, marketed under brands Physioderm, Greven, and Dendesa. 6. Susanne estimates that roughly 30% of German companies have not properly addressed occupational skin protection, based on field observations by the company's skin-protection advisors. 7. She explains the legal framework: a Gefährdungsbeurteilung (risk assessment) determines whether skin protection is obligatory, particularly for outdoor workers who exceed one hour of daily sun exposure or a critical UV index. 8. Germany's DGUV and Berufsgenossenschaften are cited as producing high-quality sector-specific guidance materials, making Germany a European leader in occupational disease documentation. 9. Skin diseases account for 10% of recognized occupational diseases in Germany; squamous cell carcinoma (Plattenepithelkarzinom) alone represents 18% of recognized occupational diseases. 10. Susanne draws a parallel to hearing damage: both accumulate over years, not days, which makes prevention feel abstract and lowers worker motivation to comply. 11. She contrasts occupational sun-protection products (creams and sprays for outdoor workers) with standard skin-barrier products (for water, cleansers, or mechanical abrasion in indoor work), noting these are distinct product categories. 12. A recurring training observation: when damaged-hand images are shown, one or two participants conceal their own hands under the table or behind their back — revealing hidden shame around chronic skin disease. 13. Workers often resist switching away from harsh 'Sandseife' (abrasive cleaners) because they associate the scrubbing sensation with cleanliness, even though these products damage the stratum corneum. 14. Skin needs six weeks to regenerate from barrier damage at the dermal cell level, meaning new products cannot show results quickly and long-term compliance is essential. 15. Successful product adoption requires including workers in product trials (giving samples), using internal role models, running on-site training sessions, and never implying that everything done before was wrong. 16. Peter Greven positions itself as a specialist that does nothing but skin care — its advisors cannot advise on toilet-fragrance products, for example — and owns a patent on a wax-bead-based gentle industrial hand cleaner. 17. Sustainability measures mentioned include a solar-panel-covered warehouse that produces more electricity than the production facility consumes and a company electric-vehicle fleet. 18. The episode is a promotional interview with a congress exhibitor; the tone is warm and conversational, with host Anna occasionally asking clarifying questions to help non-specialist listeners. 19. Occupational safety officers, production managers, and works-council members dealing with skin disease rates or seeking to build a skin-protection program will find this most directly useful. 20. Listeners outside German-language occupational health or not responsible for workplace safety programs will find limited practical value here.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Wandelwerker - Der erste deutsche Arbeitsschutz Podcast