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Testimonies /
Interview with Lucie Montignies, Safety Communication Officer at l’Oréal: ‘Diphoterine® is practical and easy to use’
In charge of L'Oréal’s safety communication, on the Aulnay-sous-Bois site (93), Lucie Montignies tells us about her experience with Diphoterine®, which is now part of the daily work culture.
PREVOR: What do you do at L’Oréal?
Lucie Montignies: I work in Aulnay’s EHS Department, and my key role is communication and the implementation of Diphoterine®.
PREVOR: When did you learn about Diphoterine solution?
LM: When I started my job, Diphoterine® was already used. We started to provide training where we talked about the product which met needs in the field. I’ve been able to see its effectiveness for myself. Diphoterine® is available in fifty points on site.
PREVOR: What benefits immediately come to mind when talking about Diphoterine®?
LM: The product is practical and easy to use. We organise short training sessions twice a year to show how to unseal the Diphoterine® container. That’s what’s the hardest: opening it correctly to not lose any time. Otherwise, it’s very easy to use: apply the entire bottle to the eye and let the solution run down your face. No questions are posed by this.
PREVOR: Have you noted any sequelae?
LM: The pain disappears very quickly but the eye stays dry and red. We didn’t have enough support to understand why this was happening and some hospitals didn’t even know what the product was.
“Now, we know what the benefits of Diphoterine® are. We are less reticent to use it.”
PREVOR: The LOA after wash solution wasn’t applied then?
LM: The after wash is used much less frequently; it’s not promoted. Once we apply Diphoterine®, the person is immediately evacuated to the infirmary, so, sometimes there’s no time to apply the after wash. Even when we do use it, some people still have red eyes.
PREVOR: Do the workers at Aulnay feel reassured knowing that there is Diphoterine® near their workstations?
LM: Yes, everyone knows what Diphoterine® is and what it means. Training has been really useful for this, because, before, some people ignored it not understanding what it was for. Their reaction was to get to water and put as much of it as possible on the burn. Now, we know what the benefits of Diphoterine® are, we are less reticent to use it.
PREVOR: What’s the protocol in place for a worker who panics and forgets what to do?
LM: As we have all followed this course, colleagues react very quickly. A little while ago, an accident occurred and the person was quickly assisted in accordance with the protocol and without any sequelae.
PREVOR: Regarding maintenance, is Diphoterine® solution of any use and cheaper than water?
LM: The bottles of Diphoterine® need to be replaced every two years (use-by date); I track renewal loops with a table. There are safety rounds on site to check that we have enough of it on site.