Personal

Protective Equipment
Healthcare Workers
 Session Objectives
You will be able to:
Recognize the importance of PPE
Identify job hazards that require PPE
Select appropriate PPE
Inspect and fit PPE properly
Remove and dispose of PPE safely
Maintain PPE in good, safe condition

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 What You Need to Know
Why using assigned PPE is essential
Common healthcare hazards that require
PPE
Types of PPE that could be necessary
Proper selection, inspection, use, and
maintenance of PPE
When new or different PPE might be
required

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 Why You Need to Wear
Assigned PPE
You could face a variety of workplace
hazards
Safety controls dont always eliminate
hazards
When hazards cant be eliminated, PPE
serves as a barrier between you and the
hazards
OSHA regulations and our policy require
appropriate PPE

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 OSHA Requirements
What PPE is needed for each task
How to use it correctly
Limitations of PPE
How to maintain PPE properly

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 Common Healthcare
Hazards Requiring PPE
Skin penetration by
sharps
Chemicals
Antineoplastic and
other potentially
harmful drugs
Blood and other
potentially infected
materials
TB or other airborne
bacteria

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 Common Healthcare
Hazards Requiring PPE (cont.)
Mechanical hazards
Heat
X rays
Light radiation (e.g., lasers or UV)
Any other identified hazard

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 PPE Is Your Personal
Defense Against Hazards
Eyes and face
Skin
Respiratory system
Feet
Hearing
Head

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 Eye and Face Protection
Shatterproof safety
glasses
Goggles
Filtered lenses
Face shields
Eye protection with
prescription glasses

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 Skin Protection
Gloves
Disposable
Cotton
Leather
Rubber, neoprene,
or vinyl
Heat resistant
Protective clothing

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 Respiratory Protection
Masks
Respirators
Respirator fit testing
and training

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 Foot Protection
Sensible, sturdy shoes
with nonslip soles
Safety shoes
Boots
Shoe covers

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 Hearing Protection
Earmuffs
Earplugs
Canal caps
Homemade hearing
protection IS NOT
effective and should
NOT be used

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 Head Protection
Hard hats protect your
head in two ways:
Hard outer shell resists
blows and penetration
Shock-absorbing
suspensions act as a
barrier between the
outer shell and your
head to absorb impact

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 Hazards and Protections
Do you understand the
information that has
been presented so far?

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 Select the Right PPE for
the Job Youre Performing
We will provide you with PPE that:
Protects from identified hazards
Is of safe design and construction and gives
you a good fit
Is sanitary and reliable
Provides more than minimum protection
Meets required safety and health standards

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 Select the Right PPE for
Chemical Hazards
Read the label
Check the MSDS
Ask your supervisor if
you have any
questions

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 Inspect PPE Before Use
Inspect before each use
Look for holes, tears, cracks, wear, or other
problems
Dont use defective, worn, or damaged PPE.
Turn it in and get an effective replacement.

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 Get a Good Fit
PPE fits well when it:
Provides you with the
protection you need
Is comfortable enough
to allow you to move
and perform your job
well
Remember to check fit
before each use

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 Remove and Dispose
of PPE Correctly
Remove PPE when its contaminated
Remove PPE from the top down, wearing
gloves to protect your skin
Grasp contaminated gloves on the inside
and peel down without touching the outside
Place contaminated PPE in assigned
containers
Wash thoroughly after removing PPE

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 Maintain PPE Properly
Clean PPE before you
put it away
Store PPE in a safe
place where it wont be
damaged or lost

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 Selection, Use,
and Maintenance
Do you understand the
information in the
previous slides?

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 When New or Different
PPE May Be Required
When tasks change, hazards may
change too
When new equipment or substances are
introduced, you may face new hazards
When hazards change, new or different
PPE may be required
When technology changes, you may be
assigned new and improved PPE
Your supervisor will explain any changes
and prepare you to use new PPE
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 Use PPE Responsibly
Know the job hazards
Use the equipment provided
Check the equipment
Take care of your equipment
Remove equipment carefully and clean or
dispose of it properly

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 Key Points to Remember
OSHA requires the use of PPE when
workplace hazards cant be eliminated
PPE provides you with a barrier of
protection against job hazards
You need to know how to select, inspect,
use, and maintain your PPE correctly
Always use assigned PPE
If theres anything about PPE you dont
understand, ask your supervisor

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