Protective Equipment - Gloves

The use of gloves is required when performing finger or heel puncture and phlebotomies. The only exception is that during the collection of units of blood from volunteer donor, the use of gloves is optional. If gloves become torn, punctured, or visibly contaminated, they must be changed. Gloves must also be worn when cleaning up spills or handling waste materials. Cotton gloves liners and specially treated gloves are available for personnel who have allergic reaction to vinyl or latex gloves. Gloves are potentially contaminated and should not be worn outside the laboratory or when using equipment such as computer terminals or telephones if the equipment is designated safe for use without gloves. In some laboratories, equipments is designated “clean” or “dirty”. The “dirty” equipment may be used only when wearing gloves