Effective use of PPE

For many fish technicians, PPE was already a part of daily working life.  We still need to care for our animals on a daily basis, often working in humid rooms that might not be conducive to social distancing.  Because of this, we need to take more care and rely the PPE we use to also keep us safe from this disease. Each facility will have its own PPE requirements, and we wanted to share some videos and info graphics on how to safely put on and remove PPE.

Corona virus is a pandemic that is spread through respiratory droplets when a person coughs, sneezes, or speaks (source: World Health Organization  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019).   The effective use of PPE is becoming much more of a conversational topic these days, not only for those working on the front lines, but also as people leave their homes for exercise and essential shopping.   Because of this, the use of masks and gloves by people outside the health care world has become much more popular.  In addition to Centre of Disease Control guidelines for US residents, follow your state and local guidelines and/or wear additional PPE you feel is necessary to protect yourself.

Thanks to Christine Archer for sharing these videos with us.  If you have any questions, please speak to your line manager and/or Health and Safety department.  

Safely removing gloves:

Safely donning and doffing disposable masks:

Safely donning and doffing N95 respirators:

In the USA, the Center for Disease Control is recommending that everyone wear cloth masks or face coverings when out in public https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.  Ideally, these should be washed after each use.  The instructions from the CDC on removing the face covering are as follows:

Individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.

Safely donning and doffing isolation gowns:  

Full barrier level one donning and doffing: 

Removing several pieces of PPE (gloves, goggles, gown, mask):

The ZHA sends out our thanks to all animal technicians who continue to care for their animals during this time.  We hope the information above helps you stay safe.