DPT 8.0
PPE
•PPE for
decontamination personnel
•PPE for healthcare providers
•Limitations
of PPE
•Staff
rotation
| PPE |
|
| The level of PPE required
for healthcare providers and support staff will vary depending upon their
risk of exposure and assigned responsibilities during an NBC incident. Many hospital personnel directly involved
in the decontamination of victims will find Level B protective gear
(including an atmosphere-supplying respirator) sufficient for such tasks, but
the proper level of protection must be tailored to the hazard involved. If the hazardous material has been
identified, and its air concentration measured and determined to be below an
immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) toxic level, PPE levels may be adjusted by the incident
commander to level C or lower.
Standard universal precautions should be followed by all other
personnel when interacting with patients who have already completed the
decontamination process. In addition
to following Federal guidelines for protective equipment use, responders must
comply with any applicable state and local regulations. |
|
| The use of PPE may itself
create hazards to the wearer. The
equipment can produce heat stress and impair visibility, mobility and
communication, along with causing a variety of psychological stresses (such
as claustrophobia). These problems
are more commonly associated with higher levels of personal protection in
which the responder is totally encapsulated within the protective gear (i.e.,
Level A). The proper selection of
equipment and appropriate training (along with periodic retraining) will
significantly reduce these problems.
In addition, rotating similarly protected staff members in and out of
the decontamination area on a set schedule is helpful to prevent loss of
workers due to fatigue. Because of
these potential hazards, the employer must keep accurate training and medical
records for all workers who utilize PPE. |