Trainer notes for personal protection equipment (PPE) presentation
Personal Protective Equipment
PPE
A short presentation on the
principles of infection control in
social care
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Trainer notes for personal protective equipment presentation
Infection control supported learning programme
Different types of
PPE?
• Gloves
• Aprons
• Face and eye
protection
Why use these?
Gloves
• To reduce the number of micro-organisms getting on the skin of the carer during certain
situations where there may be high numbers present, e.g. incontinence, wound discharge,
blood spills
• To reduce the chance of micro-organisms getting onto other patients or surfaces from the
carer’s hands
• To protect the carer’s hands from chemicals, medications and cleaning fluids
Aprons
• to protect uniform from becoming soiled with body fluids
• to reduce the number of micro-organisms getting on to uniforms, particularly from the waist
to knees area, when giving care
• to reduce chance of transfer of micro-organisms to other patients and to carers’ hands from
contact with the uniform
Face/eye protection
• To prevent micro-organisms, present in aerosols and sprays of body fluids, from having
contact with mucous membranes - includes eyes and mouth
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Trainer notes for personal protective equipment presentation
Infection control supported learning programme
Heavy duty - reusable
What gloves
to use
• Cleaning and environment
• Handling laundry
Thin polythene disposable
• Food preparation
• Food handling
Single-use non-sterile vinyl gloves
• Carer or service user is latex sensitive
• When carers skin is damaged
Single use powder free latex gloves
• When dexterity is important or lengthy procedure likely
• When contact with blood is likely
Nitrile gloves
• Food preparation
• Food handling
Sterile
• Aseptic and invasive procedures
• Manipulation of central lines and catheterisation
Heavy duty – reusable e.g., Marigolds
for general cleaning of environment and equipment
washing up
handling laundry
Wash on hands, dry and hang up ready for next use
Never use for patient care!
Thin polythene disposable gloves
for food preparation and food handling
never use for patient care
split easily and leak
slip off hands easily
Single use non sterile vinyl gloves
When
carer or patient is latex sensitive
contact with spilt body fluids likely ( not as protective as latex with blood contact)
changing pads, wiping bottoms, etc.
dressing dirty wounds, leg ulcers, etc.
when carer’s skin is damaged
Single use powder free latex gloves
When
dexterity is important
manipulation or lengthy procedure likely
contact with blood is likely
Nitrile gloves
use as for latex gloves when carer or patient is latex sensitive
better than vinyl when manipulation or dexterity important
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Trainer notes for personal protective equipment presentation
Infection control supported learning programme
more protective than vinyl for blood contact
Sterile/surgical gloves
Sterile gloves should be used for aseptic and invasive procedures.
– manipulation of central lines
– catheterisation
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Trainer notes for personal protective equipment presentation
Infection control supported learning programme
Aprons
For use when your uniform is
likely to have contact with
body fluids and discharges.
Eye/face
protection
When carrying out
procedures where spray or
aerosols may be created
Aprons
When your uniform is likely to have contact with body fluids and discharges :
dressing wounds
dealing with incontinence
giving personal care
cleaning equipment
cleaning up spills
Eye/face protection
When carrying out procedures where spray or aerosols may be created :
intubation
using suction catheters
scrubbing instruments
emptying body fluids down sluices, toilets, etc.
What types
Eyes
goggles
visor
glasses with side protection
Mouth and face
visor
mask
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Trainer notes for personal protective equipment presentation
Infection control supported learning programme
Considerations for
storage and
disposal
Who is going to be wearing
these?
Does the storage present a
risk to vulnerable people?
Does the storage present an
infection risk?
•
The storage of PPE should be in a place that is easy for people to collect it and put it on. If a
service user is isolated and relatives and friends are required to use PPE to prevent the
spread of infection then PPE should be supplied in an obvious way to tell people they are
required to use it, such as outside the isolated persons room.
• Plastic gloves and aprons can present a significant choking and/or suffocation risk to certain
vulnerable groups. They can also be placed in drainage pipes and toilets and cause damage
or flooding problems. Is the personal protective equipment stored in a place where
members of these vulnerable groups are unable to access it without supervision?
• Staff should also be aware of methods of breaking the chain of infection. Putting on gloves
and aprons in one aea such as a central PPE trolley then opening doors and touching
contaminated surfaces between putting on the PPE and handling the service user, food and
equipment can spread infection. Consideration should also be given to the way the PPE is
removed and disposed of after a task or procedure.
In this section it is important to allow colleagues to consider how they currently use PPE. Without
asking colleagues to admit personal bad practices ask delegates to think about these three issues:
1. When should you use each of the following a) latex gloves b) plastic aprons and c) protective
eye wear.
2. Can you identify anyone who might fall into the category of a vulnerable person when it
comes to storing PPE close by
3. Can you think about any opportunity where you might pick up micro-organisms between
collecting PPE and disposing of it following a task.
Some answers to the above might be
1. You should have policy and procedures to indicate when each of these items of PPE are to
be used. This is a good opportunity to check that staff are aware of the organisations
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Trainer notes for personal protective equipment presentation
Infection control supported learning programme
policies. This is also a good opportunity to check colleagues understanding of the key
messages in the course.
2. People at risk from choking and/or suffocation are visiting children, people prone to placing
foreign objects in their mouth or people prone to pick up foreign objects and handle them
inappropriately. These could be people with dementia or learning disabilities.
3. Colleagues should be encouraged to walk through tasks and procedures highlighting points
when they could potentially touch contaminated areas. Things such as sitting on service
users beds during procedures, touching door handles, table tops and draw handles with
clean PPE during aseptic procedures such as changing dressings or following a procedure.
The more realistic the examples colleagues produce the closer to recognising the key messages they
will be during their daily role
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Trainer notes for personal protective equipment presentation
Infection control supported learning programme