How to Remove gloves and other Protective Equipment

One of the things that is highlighted a lot is the risks of contamination from removing personal protective equipment. Meticulous removal of PPE is as important as its meticulous donning.

We asked the specialists at L&A Safety what we should keep in mind when removing PPE:

Gloves
You don’t ever want to have bare skin touching the contaminated parts of the glove. Remove the first one by grasping the material between the hand and the cuff, and then pull it off while turning it inside out. Remove the second by using a bare finger to reach underneath the other glove and then pull it off, again so that it turns inside out. Then, wash your hands to remove any breakthrough.

Lab coats
Generally, undo the coat and then pull it off one sleeve at a time, reaching for the inside to avoid contaminating your hands. If the lab coat is grossly contaminated, then you would want to turn it inside out and put it in the proper receptacle for laundering or disposal. For a grossly contaminated coat, you might also want to wear gloves while removing it. Again, wash your hands when you’re done. Ideally, individual lab coats should be hung on individual hooks, so the outside of one doesn’t contaminate the inside of another.

Eye protection
In most cases, eye protection should be the least contaminated thing that you have on and they should stay on until the moment you leave the lab. It’s usually safe just to take them off. If they are contaminated, then you probably need to worry less about how to safely remove them and more about why you’re not already under the shower.

Other things to consider
First, make sure you’re wearing the correct PPE. For gloves in particular, check a safety data sheet and a compatibility chart to make sure you’re using the correct protection for the chemical hazard. Also, watch what you touch with your gloves on. Don’t push your eye protection up on the bridge of your nose; don’t use a keyboard that you or others use bare-handed.

How to properly remove gloves

Gloves should be changed as soon as possible when soiled or if torn or punctured.  Gloves must be completely removed when they become contaminated or before you leave the work area.

In order to prevent exposure to any infectious materials that might be on the gloves, it is important that you remove gloves correctly.  You do not want your fingers to touch the outside of the gloves at any time.

Here are the steps for safely removing gloves:

STEP 1

With both hands gloved, peel off one glove starting from your wrist and continuing over your fingers.  Hold the inside out glove that has been removed in your gloved hand. 

STEP 2

Use the inside out portion of the glove you just removed to peel off the second glove.  Both gloves should be inside out when they are removed.  This will prevent exposure to blood and other possibly infectious materials on the gloves.

STEP 3

Tuck the first glove inside the second.  Dispose of the entire bundle properly.  Gloves must never be reused.

If not contaminated with blood or other possibly infectious materials, dirty gloves can be placed in the regular trash. 

In some areas, special containers are available.  The special containers are in place to protect people who might harm themselves with the gloves.

NOTE: Gloves should be disposed of in cans for contaminated trash if soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials. 

STEP 4

Wash your hands thoroughly!

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