Managing Carcinogenic Risk and Protecting Skin in Automotive Environments
At Pro-Tech MOT & Automotive Academy, health and safety goes far beyond PPE and written procedures. It includes the everyday, often-overlooked risks technicians face, particularly exposure to hazardous and potentially carcinogenic substances common in automotive environments.
That’s why we’ve made the decision to replace all hand and body soap supplies across our site with De-Wipe Hand, Hair & Body Wash.
This change is about risk reduction, skin protection, and setting the right standard in an industry where harmful exposure is a daily reality.
The Hidden Risk: Carcinogenic Exposure in Automotive Work
Automotive technicians are routinely exposed to substances that are classified as, or contain, carcinogenic compounds, including:
- Used engine oils and lubricants
- Diesel fuels and exhaust residues
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
- Brake dust and fine particulates
- Certain solvents, degreasers, and metalworking fluids
Many of these substances can be absorbed through the skin, particularly where the skin barrier is compromised.
Under COSHH regulations, employers and training providers have a duty to:
- Eliminate or reduce exposure to hazardous substances
- Prevent dermal absorption where reasonably practicable
- Implement effective hygiene measures as part of risk control
Hand and body washing therefore plays a direct role in occupational health protection, not just welfare.
Why Skin Health Is Central to Risk Control
Healthy skin acts as a natural protective barrier. When skin becomes dry, cracked, or irritated, often due to frequent washing with harsh products, the risk of hazardous substance absorption increases.
Common workshop challenges include:
- Over-washing with aggressive soaps
- Use of abrasive hand cleaners
- Poor skin conditioning and aftercare
- Inconsistent hygiene standards
In these conditions, even good PPE practices can be undermined.
Why De-Wipe Are Different and Why That Matters
De-Wipe is the only scientifically proven decontamination solution tested to reduce the risk of occupational cancer. It is proven to effectively remove harmful, stubborn carcinogens from the skin, helping to remove contaminants linked to increased cancer risk.
Key differentiators include:
- Effective removal of oils, fuels, greases, carbon residues, and PAHs
- Non-abrasive formulations, reducing skin damage and micro-abrasions
- Skin-conditioning ingredients that help maintain the skin’s protective barrier
- Designed for frequent use, supporting good hygiene without cumulative harm
- Suitable for both hands and body, supporting consistent use throughout the working day
By protecting skin integrity, De-Wipe help reduce the likelihood of dermal absorption of hazardous and carcinogenic substances, supporting COSHH compliance and best-practice occupational hygiene.
Leading by Example in a Training Environment
As an automotive training provider, Pro-Tech doesn’t just teach technical competence, we demonstrate what good practice looks like in reality.
By standardising De-Wipe across our site:
- Learners understand hygiene as a risk-control measure, not an afterthought
- Skin protection becomes part of professional behaviour
- The link between skin health and long-term wellbeing is reinforced
- Best practice is normalised from day one
This is especially important for early-career technicians, apprentices, and career-changers who may not yet appreciate the long-term health implications of dermal exposure.
Supporting Workshops Beyond Pro-Tech
This commitment to occupational hygiene extends beyond our own training centre.
Through our sister company Pro-Equip, we are now able to offer the complete range of De-Wipe products to workshops, training providers, fleet operators, and other high-risk environments.
This allows us to:
- Supply products we actively use and trust in our own facilities
- Support clients in selecting De-Wipe solutions appropriate to their risk profile
- Help businesses implement consistent, COSHH-aligned hygiene controls
- Provide practical guidance alongside supply, not just a product list
As with all equipment and consumables we provide, De-Wipe are used in our training environment before being offered to our customers.
A Small Change With Long-Term Impact
Good decontamination products do more than clean hands, they protect health, reduce risk, and support safer working lives.
Replacing all soaps across Pro-Tech with De-Wipe may seem like a small operational change, but it reflects a much bigger commitment: raising standards, protecting people, and leading by example in the automotive industry.
Because in our environment, what you wash with really does matter.
Pro-Equip × De-Wipe: A Trusted Partnership
Following extensive use within our academy, Pro-Equip is now an official partner of De-Wipe, allowing us to supply the full De-Wipe product range directly to workshops, training centres, and fleet operators.
This partnership means:
- The products we recommend are the products we use ourselves
- Workshops receive fit-for-purpose skin safety solutions, not generic consumables
- Advice is grounded in real-world automotive and EV training environments
- Hygiene and skin protection are treated as a health and safety priority, not an afterthought
Used in our training. Trusted in your workshop.
Occupational skin exposure remains one of the most underestimated risks in the automotive industry. Choosing the right hand and body wash won’t just improve comfort at the end of the day, it plays a role in protecting technicians’ long-term health.
For us at Pro-Tech, partnering with De-Wipe, and switching entirely to their products, was an easy decision.
If you’d like to discuss upgrading your workshop hygiene setup or supplying De-Wipe through Pro-Equip, we’d be happy to help.
Get in touch at either info@pro-techacademy.co.uk or hello@pro-equip.co.uk or call our team on 01283 734427.
