When wearing protective gear, such as goggles, face shields, gloves, aprons, and other items, it is very important to remove them carefully. Working in contaminated areas, workers are still at risk, “if removal of protective gear…is not done properly,” says Trish Perl, an epidemiologist with Johns Hopkins Health System.

Because of this, Impact-Products, a manufacturer of personal protection gear and clothing offers the following suggestions on how to remove protective gear properly:

Gloves:

With your gloved hand, grab the cuff of the other glove, pull it forward from the wrist, and pull it off your hand, leaving it inside out, Now, with your un-gloved hand, insert two fingers under the other glove and slide them down to your fingers, allowing the glove to fold over, leave inside out and trash. Gloves are the easiest of PPE to remove but are also the easiest to overlook.

Aprons/gowns:

Untie the apron from the back and then reach into the inside of the apron and pull it off your arm; repeat with the other arm.

Shoes:

To remove protective covers off of shoes, remove them while your gloves are still on.  It is best not to reuse the covers.

Face shields and masks (over the mouth):

Do not remove shields or masks until you are away from contaminated areas. Wash hands thoroughly first. If the shield/mask has a strap around your head, grab from behind the head, lift it up, and slowly pull it away from your face; if the shield/mask has two strings, untie the bottom string first, then the top string, and then slowly pull over your head and away from your face.

Goggles:

Remove goggles by pulling them straight forward from your face; if goggles have a strap around your head, pull the strap over the head and remove it.

All protective gear should be removed slowly. If pulled too quickly, contaminants may become airborne and land on other surfaces. Finally, after all of your gear has been removed, wash your hands thoroughly.

In conclusion, Removing your PPE is just as important as using it in the first place. It is always a good practice to wear them and in many places, it is completely mandatory. Many of the tasks we do as cleaners require us to wear proper safety equipment. It is imperative that our employees know how to handle themselves properly while cleaning any client’s facility.

From: http://www.cleanlink.com/news/article/How-To-Remove-PPE-Safely-And-Effectively–20039