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Universal Precautions and Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
Universal Precautions is an approach
to infection control.
According to the concept of Universal Precautions all human
blood and certain human body fluids are treated s if they
were known to be infectious for HIV,HBV, and other blood borne
pathogens. To “observe Universal Precautions”
means that whether or not you think the victim 's blood or
body fluid is infected, you act as if it is.
Always place a barrier between you
and a persons blood or body fluid.
If blood exposure is anticipated, employers
must provide appropriate PPE such as disposable gloves, gowns
laboratory coats, face shields, eye protection, pocket masks,
or bag-mask devices (used for resuscitation) at no cost to
the employee. Employers must make certain that employees use
PPE.
Selecting PPE
Al1 PPE clothing and equipment should
be of safe design and construction and should be maintained
in a clean and reliable fashion. Select PPE that fits well
is comfortable to wear. Most PPE are availed in multiple sizes.
Care should be taken to select the proper size. If several
different types of PPE are worn together, make sure they are
compatible. If your PPE does not fit properly, it can make
the difference between being safely protected or dangerously
exposed.
PPE Training
Employers are required to train each employee who must use
PPE before they are allowed to perform any work requiring
its use. The training must be documented. employees must know:
When PPE is necessary.
What PPE is necessary.
How to properly put on, take off, adjust and wear the PPE.
The limitations of the PPE.
Proper care, maintenance, useful life , and disposal of PPE.
Disposable
Gloves
Use disposable, single-use gloves to protect your hands. Al1
cuts or sores on your hands should be covered with a bandage
as additional protection before applying gloves. Inspect gloves
before putting them on. If a glove is damaged, don't use it!
Wearing two pairs of gloves can provide an additional barrier
and further reduce the risk of transfer of blood borne pathogens.
When taking contaminated gloves off,
do it carefully.
Don't snap them. This may cause blood to splatter. See Skill
Guide #3 for recommended technique.
Never wash or reuse disposable gloves. If you find yourself
in a first aid situation and you don't have any gloves handy,
improvise. Use a towel, plastic bag, or some other barrier
to help avoid direct contact. Make sure there is always a
fresh supply of gloves in your first aid kit.
Latex Glove Allergy
Natural rubber latex allergy is a serious medical problem.
Workers in the healthcare industry (physicians, nurses, dentists,
technicians, etc.) are at risk for developing latex allergy
because they use latex gloves frequently. Workers exposed
to latex gloves and other products containing natural rubber
latex may develop allergic reactions such as skin rashes;
hives; nasal, eye, or sinus symptoms; asthma; and (rarely)
shock.
Workers should take steps to protect
themselves from latex exposure and allergy in the workplace.
Simple measures such as the use of non-powdered latex gloves
and non-latex gloves can stop the development of latex allergy
symptoms and avoid new cases of sensitization.
OSHA requires that hypoallergenic gloves, glove liners, powderless
gloves, or other similar alternatives be available to employees
who are allergic to latex gloves.
Eye Protection
Blood borne viruses can be transmitted
through the mucous membranes of the eyes from blood splashes
or from touching the eyes with contaminated fingers or other
objects. Eye protection provides a barrier to this transmission.
Goggles or glasses with solid side shields, or chin-length
face shields, must be worn whenever splashes, spray, spatter,
or droplets of blood or OPIM may be produced or reasonably
anticipated. Appropriately fitted, indirectly- vented goggles
with a manufacturer's anti-fog coating provide the most reliable
practical eye protection from blood splashes and sprays.
Regular prescription eyeglasses and
contact lenses are not considered eye protection. Contact
lenses, by themselves, offer no infection control protection.
Protection During Resuscitation
Resuscitation devices (pocket masks, face shields, or bag
mask devices) must be made readily available to employees
who are designated or can reasonably be expected to perform
resuscitation procedures. These employees must be properly
trained in the various types, use, and location of these devices
according to the manufacturer's instructions and/or accepted
medical practice. Bag-mask devices come in various sizes.
It is very important to select the proper size of bag-mask
device, especially for an infant or small child. Although
mouth-to-mouth breathing is a quick and effective method to
provide oxygen to a person who is not breathing, unprotected
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation should not be used by any emergency
response personnel. Equipment designed to isolate emergency
response personnel from contact with the patient’s saliva,
respiratory secretions, vomit, blood, or body fluids should
b available on all emergency vehicles and provided to all
emergency response personnel that respond or potentially respond
to medical emergencies or victim rescues.
Protective Body Clothing
Protective body clothing such as gowns,
aprons, laboratory coats, clinic jackets, surgical caps, or
shoe covers must be provided at no cost to the employee to
prevent blood or OPIM from passing through to, or contacting
the employee's work or street clothes, undergarments, skin,
eyes, mouth, or other mucous membranes. Each employer must
evaluate the task and the type of exposure expected and, based
on this determination, select and require the use of appropriate
personal protective clothing for employees.
Contaminated PPE
Any PPE that becomes soiled with infectious material must
be removed as soon as possible. Contaminated materials must
be handled with caution. PPE that is dripping with blood or
body fluids (grossly contaminated) should be placed into a
container that is marked with a biohazard symbol or placed
in a red bag. Waste containers holding contaminated PPE are
considered to be biohazard medical waste and need to be disposed
of according to individual state regulations. PPE lightly
soiled with spots of blood or OPIM can be discarded in the
regular trash.
PPE Work Practices You Should Follow:
Always wear PPE in exposure situations.
Remove or replace any PPE that is torn
or punctured or that has lost its ability to function appropriately
as a barrier to blood borne pathogens.
Remove protective gloves before you
touch non-contaminated items ( for example, telephones and
doorknobs).
Wear gowns or aprons, eye protection, and a mask for procedures
that could involve splashing or spattering of blood or body
fluids. .
Wash your hands carefully after removing
protective clothing. If hand washing facilities are not readily
available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
If protective clothing or PPE does
not fir properly, ask your supervisor or employer to provide
the right size.
Never take contaminated protective
clothing, such as lab coats, home for laundering.
General Work Practices You Should
Follow:
Don't eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics lip balm, or insert
or remove contact lenses in areas where you could be exposed
to blood or other potentially infectious materials.
Store all food and drink away from
potentially infectious materials.
Clean and decontaminate affected
work areas and surfaces thoroughly at the end of an exposure
incident.
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