Cleaner left with blistered hands after boss refused to give her gloves wins compensation

A cleaner who was left with skin hanging off her hands after her employer refused to provide her with gloves has been awarded more than £10,000 in compensation.

Susan Davies, 57, began to notice dry skin on her hands shortly after she began working for L&T Cleaning Services Limited in 2010.

She said she was required to use an abrasive solvent cleaner on PVC surfaces as part of her job cleaning new build properties.

The condition of her hands began to worsen over time until the skin on her hands began to crack and blister.

The mother-of-two's hands were left covered in sores and blisters.

But despite Susan saying she told bosses the product was damaging her skin she said she wasn't provided with any gloves or protective equipment.

The grandmother-of-one was diagnosed with contact dermatitis by her GP and eventually the condition became so bad she was forced to take time off work.

Susan said she then decided to take legal action against her employers two years ago after a manager told her she would "have to learn to live with it".

She said she has now been awarded an undisclosed five-figure sum after L&T Cleaning Services Limited admitted liability for her injuries.

Susan, from Stoke-on-Trent, called on cleaning companies to provide staff with protective equipment for harmful substances.

She said: "I had to use the product every day and noticed my hands starting to dry up.

"I just thought it was because I was cleaning at first and put cream on but then they started to crack and I realised it wasn't right.>"The solvent cleaner was used on PVC and I had to tip it onto a cloth and then rub the surface."

Susan, who now works as a carer, still has regular appointments with a specialist about her hands and uses steroid cream to keep the cracking under control.

She also has to wear gloves at home to prevent flare ups which can be caused by simple everyday tasks like washing her hands.

She said: "It affects a lot of my life because at times there are things that I just can't do. With it being my hands, I don't think people realise how much you use them without realising.

"Even if I touch something like a leather sofa that can set them off and make the cracks bad."