Personal Protective Equipment

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Author: Rob Nickla, RBP(ABSA), M(ASCP)
Reviewer: Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM

This course details the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the clinical laboratory. Rob Nickla, a public health professional, discusses the various types of PPE that may be used in laboratories, including when and which PPE are appropriate for various situations and how to don and doff PPE.

Continuing Education Credits

Objectives

  • Describe how different types of PPE can provide protection.
  • Determine how to select appropriate PPE for clinical laboratory work.
  • Identify when to use certain PPE based on hazards that may be present in a clinical laboratory.
  • Discuss how to don and doff various types of PPE.

Course Outline

  • Describe how different types of PPE can provide protection.
      • What is PPE?
      • Hierarchy of Safety Controls
      • PPE Selection
      • Lab Coats (Body Protection)
      • Gowns (Body Protection)
      • Aprons (Body Protection)
      • Safety Glasses and Safety Goggles (Eye and Face Protection)
      • Face Shield (Eye and Face Protection)
      • Gloves (Hand Protection)
      • Gloves (Hand Protection), continued
      • Latex Gloves (Hand Protection)
      • Nitrile Gloves (Hand Protection)
      • Insulated Gloves (Hand Protection)
      • Chemical Resistant Gloves (Hand Protection)
      • Respiratory Protection
      • N95, KN95, and P100 Respirators (Respiratory Protection)
      • Face Masks (Respiratory Protection)
      • Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR)
      • Foot Protection (Other Considerations)
      • Sleeve Guards (Other Considerations)
      • Personnel Clothing and Dress Codes (Other Considerations)
      • True or False: Regular prescription glasses provide adequate eye protection in areas with potential splashing.
      • True or False: Disposable gloves should not be reused or disinfected.
  • Determine how to select appropriate PPE for clinical laboratory work.
      • OSHA PPE Requirements
      • Regulations and Recommendations
      • PPE in the Workplace Program
      • PPE Selection Considerations
      • Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
      • PPE Training
      • Employer and Employee PPE Responsibilities
      • Laboratory Specific PPE Policies
      • Standard Precautions and Lab Safety Practices
      • True or False: Employers are required by OSHA PPE requirements to provide the appropriate PPE to their employees.
      • All of the following should be implemented as part of PPE program except:
  • Describe when to use certain PPE based on hazards that may be present in a clinical lab.
      • Conducting a Biological Laboratory Risk Assessment
      • Goals of a Biological Risk Assessment
      • Infectious Aerosols and Droplets
      • Examples of Aerosol Producing Procedures
      • Organism Risk Groups
      • Laboratory Biosafety Levels
      • Higher Risk Work
      • BSL-2 Enhanced PPE
      • PPE General Safety
      • Enhanced Precautions
      • When to Use BSL-3 Practices in a BSL-2 Laboratory
      • Most clinical laboratories operate at which level of biological safety?
      • True or False: Aerosols are more significant than droplets.
  • Describe how to don and doff various types of PPE.
      • PPE Donning and Doffing
      • General Considerations for PPE Donning
      • General Considerations for PPE Donning, continued
      • General Considerations for PPE Doffing
      • PPE Donning and Doffing Order
      • Donning Gloves
      • Doffing Gloves
      • Wearing Double Gloves
      • Donning Face Shields
      • Doffing Face Shields
      • Donning and Doffing Goggles
      • Donning and Doffing Lab Coats
      • Donning Gowns
      • Doffing Gowns
      • Donning and Doffing Disposable Shoe Covers
      • Donning and Doffing Safety Glasses
      • Donning and Doffing Disposable Face Masks
      • Donning and Doffing Respiratory Protection (N95, KN95, P100 Respirators)
      • Donning and Doffing a PAPR
      • Reusable PPE
      • PPE and Hand Hygiene
      • PPE Disposal and Waste
      • Additional Information and Resources
      • Which of the following would be the most appropriate doffing order for enhanced precaution PPE?
      • When washing hands, what is the minimum amount of time hands should be lathered with soap?
  • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction: Basic
Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, laboratory supervisors, and laboratory managers. This course is also appropriate for MLS and MLT students and pathology residents.
Course Description: This course details the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for using personal protective equipment (PPE) in the clinical laboratory.  Rob Nickla, a public health professional, discusses the various types of PPE that may be used in laboratories, including when and which PPE are appropriate for different situations and how to don and doff PPE.  
Author Information: Rob Nickla, RBP(ABSA), M(ASCP), began his public health career in 2004 at the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory (ASPHL) working in Mycobacteriology, Bacteriology, and Virology. While there, he became the State Training Coordinator and Bioterrorism Training Coordinator in the Bioemergency Response Section. He actively participated in several APHL Special Interest Groups for Basic Microbiology, Biosafety & Biosecurity, and Select Agent Training. He served on the ASPHL Safety Committee for several years and helped develop and conduct many in-house safety-related trainings. In 2012, he accepted an Associate Biosafety Officer position in the Environmental Health and Safety Department at Arizona State University (ASU). Currently, Rob is the BT (biological threat) and CT (chemical threat) LRN (Laboratory Response Network) Coordinator and State Training Coordinator with the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL). 
Reviewer Information: Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He holds Medical Laboratory Scientist and Specialist in Hematology certifications through the ASCP Board of Certification. He was a professor at Thomas Jefferson University for seven years before transitioning into his current role as Education Developer at MediaLab. His areas of expertise and professional passions include clinical hematology and interprofessional education.   

This course is part of:
Compliance & CE
Histology CE
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