All hospital staff, patients and visitors should wear PPE when there is contact with blood or other body fluids, as well as when exposed to airborne illnesses, such as COVID-19. Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used as a necessary part of research safety, in addition to engineering controls and good work practices. Supervisors and employees should work together to ensure that the right PPE is selected and used to minimize exposure. Gloves should be worn when there may be exposure to blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions and when handling contaminated equipment. Gloves should also be worn when patients require transmission-based precautions (insert link to TBP).
Increased awareness among healthcare workers of the potential of gloves to provide protection against various pathogenic microorganisms has led to increased use of gloves in healthcare. However, gloves can sometimes be used improperly and not removing them at the right time and not completing hand hygiene effectively can increase the risk of transmitting infections to vulnerable patients. Every healthcare worker should understand the rationale for wearing gloves and assess the potential risk involved in each task. There are some exceptions, for example, some types of elastomeric respirator masks and goggles, such as goggles, can be reused if the user follows decontamination methods in the product labeling.
Eye and face protection should be worn when there is a risk of splashing body fluids on mucous membranes e. Therefore, PPE should be used in conjunction with other methods of protection, including exposure control procedures and equipment. The observer should not touch the person who is moving and should not serve as a moving assistant or “friend”. No combination of protective equipment and clothing is able to protect against all hazards.
Gloves made of a suitable material are required to protect the hands and arms from thermal burns, cuts, and biological or chemical exposures that can cause absorption through the skin or reaction on the skin's surface.
Personal protective
equipment is addressed in specific OSHA standards for the general, maritime and construction industries. Even if PPE successfully protects you while you are wearing it, improper removal and disposal of contaminated PPE can expose the user and others to infection. Provides information about who is required to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) when used to comply with OSHA standards.Instructions should be provided on how each item of PPE should look in relation to other PPE items and personal clothing. OSHA's COVID-19 Safety and Health Topics page provides specific information on protecting workers from coronavirus during the ongoing outbreak. Protecting healthcare workers and preventing the spread of Ebola to other patients requires proper administrative procedures and safe work practices in appropriate physical environments. Personal protective equipment may include items such as gloves, goggles and safety shoes, earplugs or armbands, helmets, respirators or coveralls, vests, and full body suits.
After cleaning and reapplying the anti-fog coatings, the goggles should be stored in a location away from potential contaminants, i.
