Appropriate sizes of personal protective equipment will be available to employees and, when necessary, hypo-allergenic gloves or a similar alternative will be provided. The specific equipment appropriate for the situation will be determined by the department in which the potential for occupational exposure occurs. Equipment may include gowns, lab coats, faceshields, masks, eye protection, and mouthpieces or pocket masks. At a minimum, gloves will be used whenever there is a reasonable anticipation of hand contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. When circumstances of a situation dictate that personal protective equipment cannot be worn, employees will report the incident to their supervisor, who will investigate and document the situation to determine either changes in work practices, engineering controls, or personal protective equipment requirements.
Employees are to be instructed in the proper disposition of their personal protective equipment.
In most cases, employees will be encouraged to discard any disposable personal protective equipment after use. In all cases, disposable gloves will be discarded, and they will be replaced as soon as practical when in disrepair or contaminated. Reusable equipment will be cleaned and disinfected, according to specific directions given to employees. Employees should not be allowed to wear their personal protective equipment outside the work area. Employees will also be instructed to replace their personal protective equipment as often as necessary.