A number of West Palm bio-hazardous medical waste management regulations make using PPE (personal protective equipment) a must when handling infectious and hazardous wastes in a number of industries, including health care. The reason behind this is that the employees must ensure the well-being and safety of their workers.
In order to make sure that you are providing your workers with the adequate PPE, there are a number of hazards at workplace that you have to take into consideration.
PPE – Head to Toe
For this, you will have to gauge the potential risks from top to bottom and consider what types of PPE can be used to protect your staff. Let’s take a look at personal protection equipment for a worker in bio-hazardous medical waste management, or other situations where it is needed, starting from his or her head and all the way to the toes.
• Head PPE – Protecting one’s head with PPE is especially important for construction workers, but also some other industries as well. PPE for the head provides protection from falling debris and impact to the heads and includes safety helmets, bump caps and hard-hats.
• Face PPE – Face PPE is very important in bio-hazardous medical waste management, as infectious waste and other materials handled often emit toxins and release particles that can harm the eyes or should not be breath in. This is why medical waste handlers can be commonly seen with eye protection goggles, dust masks or even full face respirators.
• Torso PPE – Since the torso comprises of the largest area of our body, it is also the most susceptible to impacts, weather, temperature and chemicals. In bio-hazardous medical waste management aprons and lab coats are the most often used form of torso PPE.
• Hands and arms PPE – In bio-hazardous medical waste management there is a huge risk that the waste you are handling can get to your skin. This is why it is necessary to protect your hands with disposable latex or nitrile gloves and long sleeves.
• Legs and feet PPE – Another risk in bio-hazardous medical waste management comes from spills, shattered glass and other infectious waste that winds up on the floor. With normal footwear, the individual would be in serious danger of exposure to these hazardous and infectious substances. This is why gators or safety leggings, specialist footwear (with protective soles) and toe-capped boots are worn.
Meeting Legal Obligations Regarding Personal Protection Equipment
If you are serious in meeting your personal protection equipment obligations as an employer, you have to identify and determine the potential risks and select the appropriate PPE that will serve to protect your workers.
Always look if the PPE has an CE mark on it. If it doesn’t, don’t risk it and look at another manufacturer’s PPE – one that meets the necessary safety standards.
In West Palm bio-hazardous medical waste management, as well as in other industries, personal protective equipment is often the only thing that protects an employee from injuries, infection and other hazards. As an employer of medical waste management you have a responsibility to provide your workers with proper PPE.
