What Type of PPE is Necessary for Infectious Disease Control?

July 2, 2020 | Medical/Pharmaceutical

PPE can keep healthcare workers safe against the COVID-19 virus.Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the main protection between healthcare workers and infected patients. Proper PPE is needed now more than ever as healthcare staff continue to battle through the COVID-19 pandemic and save the lives of those infected. However, this is dangerous work; since the virus is transmitted by close contact, there is a likelihood that healthcare workers can also be infected.

That is why PPE, such as face shields and goggles, is so important to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and treating those who are fighting for their lives. Marlin Steel has addressed the need for quality-made PPE by manufacturing reliable goggles and face shields that can be depended on to protect healthcare workers when they’re most vulnerable.   

What is PPE?

Personal protective equipment, also known as PPE, is generally the main barrier of protection for first responders in emergencies and is used every day by healthcare personnel on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. PPE protects healthcare workers from infected patients, those potentially infected, dangerous materials, and other toxic substances in the medical world

PPE is not just reserved for healthcare personnel, but also for anyone responding to an emergency where they may be exposed to physical, chemical, or biological hazards. Biological warfare, terrorist attacks, structural collapses, and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and floods, are all examples of situations where PPE is required for the safety of first responders. 

The type of PPE required for responders changes with the event. For healthcare workers in this current pandemic, PPE for COVID-19 includes eye protection, such as goggles, gloves, N95 respirators, face shields, isolation gowns, and ventilators. 

Providing the proper PPE for employees is the law. OSHA 1910.1030 requires PPE for occupational safety and health standards to reduce employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens. According to standard 1910.1030(d)(3)(x)

Masks, Eye Protection, and Face Shields. Masks in combination with eye protection devices, such as goggles or glasses with solid side shields, or chin-length face shields, shall be worn whenever splashes, spray, spatter, or droplets of blood or other potentially infectious materials may be generated and eye, nose, or mouth contamination can be reasonably anticipated.

So, providing staff with PPE for coronavirus exposure is not only ethical, but it’s the law.  

How Does PPE Help With Infectious Disease Control

PPE forms a barrier between the wearer and the infected person, or materials. Current opinion supports that COVID-19 is most likely to spread through infected droplets released when a person with the virus coughs, sneezes, or talks; when these droplets land in the noses or mouths of nearby people, whether from touching their face or from being coughed on, they can be inhaled into the lungs where they proliferate and spread infection throughout the body. It is also probable that a person can be infected with the virus by touching a surface or material that has the virus on it and then touching their face.

As a result, staff working around infected patients or the presence of COVID-19 should wear face shields, goggles, gloves, or face masks to prevent exposure. A face shield effectively covers the user’s face so that the eyes, nose, and mouth are protected from contaminated droplets and prevents the wearer from touching their face. With face shields, healthcare faculty and staff can continue to do their lifesaving work while being reassured of their own safety. Likewise, goggles protect the eyes from sprays of infectious materials. 

The CDC recommends universal implementation of PPE to slow the spread of COVID-19 in most public areas, and especially in a work environment with infected patients. Face masks alone are encouraged for people out in public even if they do not have symptoms, since there is the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission. However, health care workers who are exposed to infected patients, or the potential for exposure, need more than one source of PPE. This may include a face mask and eye protection, such as googles, or a face shield. Any and all personal entering facilities should be wearing the appropriate PPE for their protection and those around them. 

Marlin Steel Can Provide the PPE for Coronavirus Your Team is Looking For

Provide your staff with the protection they need with the help of Marlin Steel's quality made PPE. The engineering team at Marlin Steel has designed and crafted protective equipment for infectious disease control, from face shields to goggles. When choosing PPE for your team, you must be certain that it is reliable and able to be worn for long hours. Marlin Steel’s face shields and goggles are built for easy sanitation. The face shield’s “spit shield” protects the face from infected droplets and the PPE goggles are designed to be easily disposed and replaced to ensure sterility and protection for wearers. 

Likewise, PPE should be designed to be comfortable enough to be worn for long periods of time. Marlin Steel’s face shields are built with an elastic attachment and foam forehead cushion for easy accessibility and comfort for wearers. Both the face shield and the googles are anti-fog to prevent any moisture from inhibiting first responders from their work. 

Besides PPE, the engineers at Marlin have developed other high quality products for infectious disease control, such as ventilator components and custom stainless steel test tube racks for viral testing. These can be readily available for hospitals, labs, and testing kit manufacturers in a timely manner. 

If you’re looking to provide your employees with high-quality PPE for COVID-19 protection, contact Marlin Steel today. Marlin’s engineering team has had years of experience in crafting custom stainless steel wire forms to fit a wide variety of applications, including those for infectious disease control, and they can custom design products for your specific requirements in mind.

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