Cleaning contaminated items When contaminated items are handled it is the responsibility of the employer to assess when personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary and make sure that employees properly use PPE. Cleaning contaminated equipment wearing street clothes, or a simple apron not protecting the arms, or using common examination-type gloves when splashing and splatter is expected, as opposed to heavy duty gloves and PPE, would raise the likelihood that employers are not following the recommendations set down by OSHA to protect workers during the reprocessing of contaminated items.
Physical Cleaning of contaminated items "Instrument Cleaning - If unavoidable circumstances require hand scrubbing of contaminated equipment, protective barriers are essential to protect from the splatter and splashing: face and eye protection as well as a body covering that is impervious and can be disinfected. Sterilization, Disinfection & Asepsis Heavy duty puncture resistant gloves are required - not latex, medical, vinyl, nitrile nor exam type gloves. |