In the health sector, infection control guidelines have required medical practitioners to wear a set of PPE equipment, especially in critical and high-risk situations, such as the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), PPE equipment is known by a longer name, personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is equipment worn by professionals to minimize exposure to dangers that cause severe incidents at workplaces and illnesses.
The common workplace hazards that can be reduced through PPE equipment are chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, and others. Usually, there are specially built cabinets for storing the equipment which is known as PPE cabinet Malaysia. Let’s read this article to know more about PPE equipment and its importance in the healthcare sector.
The Appropriate Time to use PPE Equipment
PPE equipment is necessary to be used whenever there is a high-risk exposure to hazards at the workplaces or on the sites where the employees need to go. However, in general, the Health and Safety Executive states that the use of PPE equipment should only be the final solution and only be used at times when the cross-risk cannot be prevented in other solutions. According to the hierarchy of hazard control shared by Lindsey Wilhite on the OnSite Safety, PPE is ranked at the bottom of the hierarchy as the least effective solution to control hazards. It is because PPE equipment only becomes effective when the employees come into contact with the hazards.
PPE equipment is never designed to prevent hazards from happening to the people who need to manage it! Nevertheless, PPE equipment is essential to be worn by employees especially people in the healthcare sector when they are exposed to hazardous chemicals, gases, viruses, and pathogens, and dealing with these such situations:
· Whenever utilising sharp or contaminated tools.
· Whenever do personal care tasks with other people.
· Whenever do a blood transfusion.
· Whenever there is a risk of blood or bodily fluids splashing into the eyes or face.
· Whenever there is a risk of blood or bodily fluids spilling in greater amounts at the operation theatre.
· Whenever do activities that risk infection transmission such as carrying out injections or moving and positioning.
Those situations can cause health practitioners to get cross-infection through blood, and bodily fluids, which can harm their well-being. That’s why the use of PPE equipment is necessary for those situations!
The Importance of using PPE Equipment Properly
The primary goal of PPE is to protect the healthcare practitioners from pathogens and other contaminants while providing patient care or involving in the high risk situations. The proper use of PPE does not only affect their safety but also the patients’ safety in the healthcare facility. It is critical that healthcare practitioners not only wear appropriate PPE, but also adhere to proper donning and doffing procedures. Improperly fitted PPE or improper removal of the items can spread pathogens to colleagues, around the facility, or/and society.
The use of PPE is still vital in handling dangerous situations that can cause cross-infection. If you would like to find the PPE cabinet to store the PPE equipment at your healthcare facility, you may check MyLab+ official website.