Personal protective equipment Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.

The collection of these specimens requires the same attention to detail as with any phlebotomy procedure. Gather all necessary equipment Be certain to choose a device that punctures the heel to a depth appropriate to the size of the infant. Only use the filter cards provided by your state to collect the specimen. These cards are calibrated to the exact specifications needed for testing of metabolic disorders. An alternate or homemade card must not be used. Put on all necessary personal protective equipment Gloves are always required. Gowns and eye protection may also be required. Positively identify the patient Use two identifiers. The infant who is in the nursery should have an identification band attached to the ankle or wrist. In special care nurseries an alternate form of identification may be used. However, a crib card should never be used as a form of identification. Follow the practice for your facility. Position the infant Be certain that the heel can be easily accessed. Follow all nursery requirements that apply to safe handling of newborns. Warm the heel using an approved warming device Clean the site with alcohol or the approved disinfectant. Allow the site to air dry before proceeding with collection of the specimen. Grasp the heel firmly but not tightly, activate the puncture device, wipe away the first drop of blood, and begin collection of the specimen.Allow the blood to wick onto the card. Completely saturate the circle with one continuous drop of blood. Avoid touching the card to the skin. Apply the blood only to one side of the card. Do not layer the blood by applying a second drop on top of the first. Repeat the procedure to completely fill each circle on the card. Each circle should be completely and uniformly saturated as shown in the bottom image on the right. Follow the policy of your institution or state to determine how many circles must be completely filled. Apply pressure to the puncture site using a sterile gauze Gently raising the infant's leg above the level of the heart will also aid in clotting the puncture site. Bandage according to site-specific policy.

The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard includes these major components: Exposure control plan Preventive measures Hepatitis B vaccination Standard precautions Methods of control Engineering and work practice controls Personal protective equipment Housekeeping Labeling What to do if an exposure incident occurs

Personal protective equipment includes items such as: Fluid-resistant gowns or lab coatsShoe coversApronsGlovesCapsMasksEye protection

There is no vaccine against HIV. However, you can protect yourself by using: Standard precautionsProper work practicesEngineering controlsPersonal protective equipment

Work practice controls affect the transport of blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).Proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including eye protection, gloves, and lab coats or aprons, must be used when handling blood specimens and OPIM.Spilled specimens must be cleaned up using proper PPE .

Garments worn as personal protective equipment must meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. This will ensure that the wearer will not be contaminated if there is a splash or splatter of blood or other potentially infectious material. The outer protective garment should be fluid resistant, such as a nonwoven gown or a long-sleeved, cuffed laboratory coat with high resistance to fluid penetration. The lab coat should be fully closed when working in the laboratory.Scrub suits do not offer adequate protection.If a garment is contaminated with blood, it must be removed immediately, or as soon as it is feasibly possible.

You can avoid exposure to Hepatitis B by taking the appropriate precautions which include: Hepatitis B vaccine Standard precautions Proper work practices Personal protective equipment

These are the relevant components of OSHA standard which are required for each facility: Facility must develop an Exposure control plan Preventive measures Hepatitis B vaccination Standard precautions Methods of control Engineering and work practice controls Personal protective equipment Housekeeping Labeling What to do if an exposure incident occurs

Garments worn as personal protective equipment must meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and must include the following:A spray rating of 90 or above – cotton has 0.An air porosity of 10 or higher – cotton has 25.A Suter resistance to fluid pressure rating of 340 or above – cotton has 60.

The OSHA standard requires that you use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Your employer must provide you with the appropriate PPE for you free of charge.

When using formaldehyde in any concentration, with the exception of placing specimens in single vials, you must wear:Protective clothing with material that is impervious to formaldehyde A face shield and chemical safety goggles Gloves If there is a risk of formaldehyde reaching the eyes, chemical safety goggles should be worn with a face shield.

When using formaldehyde in any concentration, with the exception of putting specimens in single vials, you must wear: A cover gown or apron A face shield or safety goggles Gloves This personal protective equipment is provided at no cost to you.

The label will also describe: Any important storing or handling instructions. The personal protective equipment you must wear when working with the chemical.

Personal protective equipment is an essential way to protect yourself from the dangers of chemicals. You'll find on the label or safety data sheet (SDS) exactly what kinds of clothing, gloves, and coverings you'll need to keep yourself safe. Also, the laboratory's chemical hygiene plan will include information about necessary personal protective equipment and engineering controls that will reduce your exposure to hazardous chemicals. At a minimum, chemical safety goggles and rubber or nitrile gloves (not necessarily utility gloves) are necessary parts of your personal protective equipment.

Be alert to signs posted on the hospital room door or above the hospital bed.Such signs may warn you to use appropriate personal protective equipment according to your institution's isolation policies and procedures. Other signs may specify that the left of right arm should be avoided. Patients may also alert you to avoid the use of an arm.

Although this smear is the proper thickness, it is not appropriate for examination because the host cells are stained blue instead of red, indicating that the smear was under-decolorized. In addition, small flecks of precipitated stain are present. Notice that the precipitated stain is irregular in shape, which helps differentiate the flecks from bacteria. A slide is also not acceptable for examination if microorganisms that should be gram-positive appear pink. This may indicate that either the Gram's iodine was not applied or the slide was over-decolorized. Staining gram-positive and gram-negative control slides along with the patient's smear would confirm that proper staining technique was used. If it is impossible to prepare a new smear, the poorly stained smear may still be salvaged. Remove immersion oil from the smear using xylol. Use appropriate procedures and personal protective equipment when using xylol, since it is a hazardous chemical. If the smear is under-decolorized, repeat the decolorization and counterstain steps. If the smear is over-decolorized, the slide should be stained again.

If stains and technique are adequate, S. aureus should be Gram positive (blue) and E. coli should be Gram negative (pink). If control slides do not react appropriately, reliable results cannot be assured for the specimen smears. Check stains and technique and prepare more control smears until proper results are achieved, then remake and stain the new direct smears. If it is impossible to prepare a new smear, the poorly stained smear may still be salvaged. Remove immersion oil from the smear using xylol. Use appropriate procedures and personal protective equipment when using xylol, since it is hazardous chemical. If the smear is underdecolorized, repeat the decolorization and counterstain steps. If the smear is overdecolorized, the slide should be stained again.

An important element of safety is personal protective equipment (PPE). This must be provided to phlebotomists by their facility and may include gloves, lab coats and protective eyewear. An N95 respirator (shown in the lower image) or other respiratory protection may be required to protect the phlebotomist from Mycobacterium tuberculosis or other airborne infectious agents. Phlebotomists and other healthcare workers must be medically cleared and fit-tested to wear N95 respirators. For the phlebotomist, gloves are required during every procedure. The gloves must remain totally intact. The gloves cannot be altered in any way as to expose the hand or fingers to potential bloodborne pathogens. Never remove all or part of the finger tip of the glove while performing venipuncture.

•Public health guidelines recommend that manipulation of samples for influenza testing be done inside a safety cabinet.If an employee has close contact with a patient with known or probable Influenza A 2009 H1N1 illness, an N95 respirator, as shown in the image below, should be worn, according to CDC guidelines. Note that if an N95 respirator is used, it must first be fit tested to ensure a complete seal around the mouth and nose.Laboratorians should always observe basic infection control procedures including equipment/counter top decontamination and Standard Precautions that include the use of engineering controls such as safety cabinets; personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, fluid-resistant outer clothing, and respiratory protection; and work practice controls, such as frequent hand washing.

The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) worked with the CDC and other health agencies, both in the United States and globally, to protect public health during the H1N1 virus outbreak. The FDA ensures the safety, effectiveness, and supply of antiviral medications and the H1N1 vaccine that is produced and/or distributed in the United States; it has the responsibility of approving medical devices for the serologic testing of the 2009 H1N1 virus. The FDA also performs other roles such as ensuring the production of an adequate supply of respiratory protection and other personal protective equipment. The FDA also monitors the safety of the blood supply, and, although no cases of transmission of H1N1 virus through blood have been reported, the guidelines for donor deferral that have been established by the FDA further ensure that this would not occur.

The laboratory director is responsible for the development of a risk-based infection control plan for the laboratory.The personnel are trained in methods that minimize the production of aerosols.The personal protective equipment that is specified in the infection control plan is used consistently. A respirator is used when performing procedures that can result in aerosolization outside a biological safety cabinet.Disposable gloves are worn for all laboratory procedures.