Wearing appropriate PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment is required for those who deal with Florida medical waste removal. The OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires, under the Standard number 1910.132 that all anyone working with biohazards, infectious waste or other kinds of flammable or dangerous hazards, should wear proper PPE at all times during their work.
PPE can save your life, literally. For example, a helmet worn by construction workers will protect your head from falling debris, fire-resistant gauntlets are a necessary piece of PPE for someone who works with electricity or high temperatures, while latex or nitrile disposable gloves are needed in medical waste removal.
Donning and removing PPE requires a bit of practice. Certain PPE is meant to protect certain parts of your body and it can’t do that if you wear it wrong. So, let’s take a look at how to don and remove Personal Protective Equipment, as you never know when you might need this skill in a pinch.
How to Don PPE?
Start by donning the gown first, by tying it at the waist and the neck. Next, put on a face mask by placing it over your nose, mouth and chin and securing it with the attached elastic strings or cloth. Putting on a face mask is pretty straightforward, especially if it has a metal clamp, but for respirators, you might need a little more practice before the “real thing”.
Next up (figuratively and literally) are eye protection goggles. Most eye protection goggles work like normal glasses (which you should not forget to remove, if you are wearing them). Simply secure those with some headband so they don’t slide off the nose.
Following that, you should put on the gloves. You already know how gloves work. Put your left hand in the left glove or gauntlet and do the same with the right one. But that’s not all there is to it. You should also make sure that the cuffs of your gown, of the sleeves if you aren’t wearing a gown are under the glove. This way, you do away with any gaps between the glove and the sleeve or gown that may expose your skin.
And that is how you don the PPE. Now let’s look over how to remove it.
How to Remove PPE when working in Florida medical waste removal?
First, remove one disposable glove by peeling them off your wrist the other, still gloved hand. While doing this, make sure that you turn the glove inside-out. Now, with the bare hand, slide a finger under the glove and peel it off from the wrist, also turning the glove inside-out.
Grasp the parts of the eye protection goggles or the face mask that are closest to your ears, pull up and away from the face.
Unfasten the straps in the back and pull the gown from your shoulders and neck to remove this piece of PPE.
Finally, remove the face mask or the respirator by first lifting or untying the straps up and over from the back of your head, and then away from the face.
And that is how you don and remove PPE, a skill very important if you are working with Florida medical waste removal. It may take a little practice before you figure it completely, but by the time you do, it’s gonna be like donning and removing your T-shirt.
