PERSONAL

PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT
TO BE WORN
THROUGHOUT
THE
MEDICATION
CIRCUIT

CHAI WAN SHAN

P17090732
INTRODUCTION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Anything used or worn by a person to minimise risk to the person’s health and safety.

It must be ensure it is

Selected to minimise risk to health and safety

Suited to the nature of the work

Suitable size and fit and reasonably comfortable

Maintained, repaired, in good working order, clean and hygienic or replaced

Used or worn by the worker

SELECTION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Considerations include:

Task suitability

Suitability for the wearer and environment

Compatibility with other personal protective equipment in use

Condition of the personal protective equipment

Correct fitting and wearing

Lifespan and care (Frequency of replacement)

Suitability extends to emergency situations as well as day-to-day use

TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT – COVERALLS &
GOWNS
Description
Gowns - Usually worn for tasks involving administration of cytotoxic drugs and patient care.
Coveralls – Most commonly worn in drug preparation areas.
Selection considerations include:
- Made of impermeable material (Bonded polyethylene fibre)
- Should have a closed front and long sleeves with elastics or knit cuffs
- May be disposable or can be processed through an appropriate laundry facility capable of handling
garments contaminated with cytotoxic drugs
- Should be changed at least daily or immediately if overt contamination occurs
- Care should be taken in removal of gowns
- Coveralls may incorporate head coverings (Recommend for drug preparation)
- Oversleeves give added protection to the forearms
TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT – HEAD
COVERING
Description

Should be worn to contain hair and reduce contamination

Should cover exposed hair, including beards and moustaches.

Hooded coveralls are recommended for drug preparation – Hoods should fit snugly around the face

Caps should fit snugly around the head

Facial enclosures or covers should be designed to be used in conjunction with hoods and other coverings

Hoods, caps and facial enclosures should not interfere with respiratory protection
TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT – GLOVES
Description

Must be chosen to maximise protection by minimising permeability

Standard surgical gloves may not provide required level of protection

Due to drug and carrier permeability in the case of liquid cytotoxic drug

Must be long enough to cover wrist cuffs of coveralls or gowns while arm is bent or stretched.
Choices: Purpose-manufactured or manufacturer recommended & Surgical powder-free latex gloves

Operators not wearing special purpose gloves should be double-gloved (2 pairs of powder-free latex gloves)

Latex gloves used in drug preparation – Should be sterile and powder free

Double-gloving – Both gloves must be changed

Should be changed at intervals of 30 minutes or when punctured, torn or contaminated.

TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT – PROTECTIVE
EYEWEAR
Description

To prevent the mucous membranes of the eye being exposed through liquid splashes

Protection can be provided by:

- Goggles or protective glasses with side shields
- Transparent full-face chemical splash shield
- Full eye protection provided by full-face respiratory protective equipment

Worker wearing prescription glasses – Use risk assessment to determine the need of using additional protection
TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT – RESPIRATORY
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (RPE)
Description

Suitable RPE should be selected, used, stored and maintained as recommended in AS/NZS 1715:2009

For example, to contain cytotoxic spills which may generate aerosols, respiratory protective equipment with
particulate filter (P2) is recommended

Requirement for worker to wear prescription glasses should be taken into account in selection and fitting of RPE

Surgical masks do not offer sufficient respiratory protection against exposure to powders, liquids or aerosols
(particulates)
TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT – SHOE
COVERS/OVERSHOES
Description
Must be made of impervious material
Overshoes of a similar impermeable material as the coverall or gown
Overshoes should be high enough to cover the trouser cuff of the coverall and do not slip down
Soles should be made of a skid-resistant plastic or other suitable non-shedding material
Disposable shoe covers do not provide sufficient protection from cytotoxic spills
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR SPECIFIC TASKS
Preparation of cytotoxic drugs
inside a CDSC
Cleaning of cytotoxic drug
preparation areas and
equipment
 Sterile coverall with hood
 2 pairs of sterile, powder-free latex gloves or 1 pair of sterile purpose
manufactured gloves
 Protective eyewear
 Shoe covers or overshoes
 Class P2 (N95) RPE
• Sterile coverall with hood
• 2 pairs of sterile, powder-free latex gloves or 1 pair of sterile purpose
manufactured gloves
• Protective eyewear
• Class P2 (N95) RPE
• Shoe covers or overshoes
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR SPECIFIC TASKS
Drug administration and
patient care
Cleaning solid or liquid
cytotoxic spills (where spill kit
needed)
Contaminated laundry –
Handling linen bags
 Gown or coverall
 2 pairs of powder-free latex gloves or 1 pair of purpose manufactured gloves
 Class P2 (N95) RPE, based on risk assessment
 Protective eyewear, based on risk assessment
• Gown or coverall
• 2 pairs of powder-free latex gloves or 1 pair of purpose manufactured gloves
• Class P2 (N95) RPE
• Protective eyewear
• Impervious she covers or overshoes
 Gown or coverall
 Protective eyewear, based on risk assessment
 2 pairs of powder-free latex gloves or 1 pair of purpose manufactured gloves
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR SPECIFIC TASKS

Ancillary workers handling • Gown or coverall

waste containers
Contaminated waste transport,
treatment and disposal
• 2 pairs of powder-free latex gloves or 1 pair of purpose manufactured gloves
• Protective eyewear, based on risk assessment
 Industrial workwear
 PVC industrial gloves
 Safety boots
 Protective eyewear, based on risk assessment
RESEARCH ARTICLE - USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
AGAINST CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 BY HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS IN WUHAN, CHINA: CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

420 healthcare professionals who were deployed to Wuhan by two affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University and
Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University for 6-8 weeks from 24th January to 7th April 2020.

They were provided with appropriate personal protective equipment to deliver healthcare to patients admitted to hospital
with Covid-19 and were involved in aerosol generating procedures.

77 healthcare professionals with no exposure history to Covid-19 and 80 patients who had recovered from Covid-19 were
recruited to verify the accuracy of antibody testing.

RESULTS:

- None of the study participants reported Covid-19 related symptoms.

- They all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 specific nucleic acids and IgM or IgG antibodies.
RESEARCH ARTICLE - USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
AGAINST CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 BY HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS IN WUHAN, CHINA: CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY
REFERENCES

1. Worksafe.qld.gov.au. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/22884/guide-handling-cytoxic-drugs-related-
waste.pdf> [Accessed 20 December 2020].

2. Liu, M., Cheng, S., Xu, K., Yang, Y., Zhu, Q., Zhang, H., Yang, D., Cheng, S., Xiao, H., Wang, J., Yao, H., Cong,
Y., Zhou, Y., Peng, S., Kuang, M., Hou, F., Cheng, K. and Xiao, H., 2020. Use of personal protective equipment
against coronavirus disease 2019 by healthcare professionals in Wuhan, China: cross sectional study. BMJ,
[online] p.m2195. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7284314/?report=classic>
[Accessed 20 December 2020].