Health and Safety in hospitals is a fundamental issue as the wellbeing of citizens and hospital employees depends on it. H&S is achieved by actuating effective prevention and protection measures through the identification of risk factors which are diverse both in genres and nature in all health facilities.
Why use personal protective equipment in hospitals
Risks in healthcare can arise from the equipment used and/or the chemical and biological substances handled. To avoid contamination between patients and healthcare workers, it is essential to use personal protective equipment (PPE), as required by occupational health and safety legislation. Given their importance, they must meet the requirement of European Standards and bear the CE mark.
Every day, doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and auxiliary staff come into contact with radiation, drugs, disinfectants, detergents and biological fluids, all of which can severely threaten human health. Various specific personal protective devices are required to protect workers from these hazards, for example, people who work with diagnostic machines or physical and rehabilitation equipment need to protect themselves against ionizing radiation, electromagnetic radiation, ultraviolet rays, lasers and radiofrequencies. In these cases, protective clothing including gloves and hairnets are to be worn as well as special coats or jackets and goggles when performing x-rays.
Biological risk is probably the highest present in this sector, being directly related to the close contact healthcare workers have with the patients. Pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate into the body through the mucous membranes, along the respiratory tract, through blood or ingestion. The auxiliary staff and nurses are the most exposed as they are directly involved with hospital equipment, surgical instruments, potentially contaminated objects and material such as bedpans, gauzes, wadding, patches and similar dressings.The personal protective equipment required by nurses should therefore include overalls, gloves, filter respirators, masks, eyewear, disposable hairnets and shoe covers.
Use of Personal Protective Equipment in healthcare: when to use specific respirators
The personal protective equipment to be used in the healthcare sector are not all the same. They are divided into three categories, namely, cat.I, cat.II, cat.III depending on the degree of risk. Life-saving devices, i.e. those which protect against risks which can cause very serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health, fall under cat.III and these include respiratory protective devices. Some healthcare professionals have to deal with the management and disposal of potentially infectious biological material and chemicals from both wards and laboratories.
It is often necessary to perform decontamination that may expose workers to the risk of inhaling dust or toxic gases. In these cases, in addition to the standard specified devices, it may be necessary to wear powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) which are respirators with either mask or helmet equipped with filters usually fitted to a blower unit powered by a battery which conveys filtered air to the inside of the face piece.
Kasco supplies a range of respiratory protective devices particularly suitable in situations where the biological risk is particularly high.
Dec 4 2017
Why use personal protective equipment in hospitals?
Why use personal protective equipment in hospitals
Risks in healthcare can arise from the equipment used and/or the chemical and biological substances handled. To avoid contamination between patients and healthcare workers, it is essential to use personal protective equipment (PPE), as required by occupational health and safety legislation. Given their importance, they must meet the requirement of European Standards and bear the CE mark.
Every day, doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and auxiliary staff come into contact with radiation, drugs, disinfectants, detergents and biological fluids, all of which can severely threaten human health. Various specific personal protective devices are required to protect workers from these hazards, for example, people who work with diagnostic machines or physical and rehabilitation equipment need to protect themselves against ionizing radiation, electromagnetic radiation, ultraviolet rays, lasers and radiofrequencies. In these cases, protective clothing including gloves and hairnets are to be worn as well as special coats or jackets and goggles when performing x-rays.
Biological risk is probably the highest present in this sector, being directly related to the close contact healthcare workers have with the patients. Pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate into the body through the mucous membranes, along the respiratory tract, through blood or ingestion. The auxiliary staff and nurses are the most exposed as they are directly involved with hospital equipment, surgical instruments, potentially contaminated objects and material such as bedpans, gauzes, wadding, patches and similar dressings.The personal protective equipment required by nurses should therefore include overalls, gloves, filter respirators, masks, eyewear, disposable hairnets and shoe covers.
Use of Personal Protective Equipment in healthcare: when to use specific respirators
The personal protective equipment to be used in the healthcare sector are not all the same. They are divided into three categories, namely, cat.I, cat.II, cat.III depending on the degree of risk. Life-saving devices, i.e. those which protect against risks which can cause very serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health, fall under cat.III and these include respiratory protective devices. Some healthcare professionals have to deal with the management and disposal of potentially infectious biological material and chemicals from both wards and laboratories.
It is often necessary to perform decontamination that may expose workers to the risk of inhaling dust or toxic gases. In these cases, in addition to the standard specified devices, it may be necessary to wear powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) which are respirators with either mask or helmet equipped with filters usually fitted to a blower unit powered by a battery which conveys filtered air to the inside of the face piece.
Kasco supplies a range of respiratory protective devices particularly suitable in situations where the biological risk is particularly high.
By Kasco Srl • Blog •