Unfortunately, even the cleanest-looking gloves might conceal some nasty, unseen miscreants.
A Japanese study validated what many health care professionals previously understood about germs: once contaminated, hospital worker gloves can transfer any pathogen to another surface, particularly if it is made of plastic. Worse, the bacteria known as Acinetobacter baumannii is so persistent that it may be detected on hospital bed rails up to 9 days after exposure.
Unfortunately, no failsafe exists to avoid work glove contamination. Bacteria can spread wherever there is contact. There are, however, a few things you can do to keep yourself and those around you healthier, as well as make the breeding conditions for germs less friendly.
Here are some of the best strategies for reducing bacterial contamination in the workplace:
- Direct Disposable Gloves to the Waste Bin
Bacteria management in health care settings is no laughing matter. Disposable gloves, whether latex, nitrile, or another substance, should always be discarded in the designated waste bin after use. They are not intended to be cleaned; rather, they are intended to be replaced. They should never make contact with you or anybody else after the mandated communication has ended. Some germs will die within a few minutes, while others will not. As a result, contamination can occur at nearly any time.
Use proper de-gloving practises to keep your skin from coming into contact with any contaminated parts of the gloves. Before encountering another patient or any surface in an examination area, always put on new, clean gloves. Every health care professional must follow this critical, potentially life-saving protocol.
Ordinary soap and water are still unrivalled for clearing skin of bacteria after exposure.
2. Keep your gloves clean by washing them on a regular basis.
Bacteria can be found almost anywhere, not just in hospitals. And, because the human eye cannot see bacteria without the use of a microscope, you’ll never know if they’re present or what strain one type is. Of course, this means that work gloves used by construction workers, loggers, and anyone in any other industry may be contaminated with bacteria.
Many work gloves are washable, which is one of the most effective methods for destroying bacteria colonies and beginning over. The issue is that you can’t machine wash your gloves every day. Each cycle presents a fresh opportunity for the material to degrade and lose its original level of hand protection.
Some gloves, regrettably, cannot be machine-washed at all. If that’s the case, consult with your work glove specialist to see if gentle hand laundering is a possible choice for the gloves you use every day.
3. Keep Gloves Dry and Aired Out
According to the aforementioned study, many bacteria strains are almost invisible after a few hours. However, just because some time has passed does not mean that the gloves are clean. In addition, while sunshine is a mortal enemy of other strains, UV rays make the Brucella strain 10 times more lethal.