safety clothing in hospitals?

munkifisht

I am working in a lab with potentially contaminated blood samples. We are provided lab coats and gloves but that's it. In a meeting I was just informed that the antiquated and irresponsible staff clothing policy is going to be implemented. I say antiquated because it lauds the wearing of ties, long sleeved shirts and only occasionally dry cleaned suits, clothes proven to be exceptionally dangerous for cross contamination, but bans the wearing of clothes that are cleaned far more regularlly like jeans.

Anyway, I despise wearing any "street" clothes in work due to contamination issues. Can I make the argument that I should be supplied with a work only uniform and who would I make that argument to?

d9oiu2wk07blr5

A sensible solution would be for the Mater to provide all lab staff with scrubs.

Mrs OBumble

Moving this to health sciences, I think it will get a more informed answer there.

munkifisht

Laila Low Wintergreen wrote: »

A sensible solution would be for the Mater to provide all lab staff with scrubs.

Can't agree more. It's frankly disgusting to see people who have been dealing with infectious patients all day walking out of the hospital and into local shops and restaurants with members of the public.

Many thanks for the move, far more sensible forum.

First Aid Ireland

munkifisht wrote: »

I am working in a lab in the mater with potentially contaminated blood samples. We are provided lab coats and gloves but that's it.

Do you have goggles?

munkifisht

First Aid Ireland wrote: »

Do you have goggles?

Sorry, we are provided with goggles, yes. And in other respects we are provided with all appropriate health and safety equipment, but as for the clothes on our backs as it were, I feel they are at risk of contamination and I want to know if anyone else would know can I make an argument that they are, and if so what would be the best way to go about it and to whom? Is there any general HSE policy on cross contamination as it pertains to clothing and if so can someone point me to it?

d9oiu2wk07blr5

munkifisht wrote: »

Can't agree more. It's frankly disgusting to see people who have been dealing with infectious patients all day walking out of the hospital and into local shops and restaurants with members of the public.

Many thanks for the move, far more sensible forum.

Another big no no which you see tend to see are nurses wearing their uniforms out in public after finishing a shift. Have you's consulted with the infection control officer in the Mater or the Health & Safety Authority?

Piste

You could keep a change of clothes in work that you only wear in the lab and complies with the dress code. You could also do like the surgeons do and wear a bowtie so it doesn't fall into anything like a regular necktie.

Tree

As regards labwork, you should be covering your street clothes with PPE, whether they're sensible or a suit. A long howie coat will totally cover your front and arms, and go at least to your knees. From my experience working in hospital labs, staff contact with samples tends to be minimised through the use of automated platforms, and I feel the labcoat and gloves&glasses provide ample protection if you take care in your work and deal with any spills imediately.

Whether you wear scrubs or not underneath shouldnt make a difference. If you get contaminated in any outfit you'll have to take off the garment to wash anyway. I have always found my own clothes to be more comfortable than scrubs, and im fairly happy to throw my jeans into the wash at higher than recommended temperatures.

Whiplashy

Under the HSE's own infection control policies, you are of course 100% in the right. I work in a hospital and we were given the lecture on this just the other day. However, the HSE are extremely lax at enforcing their policies. Nurses are always wandering around outside, and even smoking, in uniform. I saw someone wandering around the grounds the other day in scrubs!

I am contracted by a UK company, and we are not allowed off of the ward in our uniform, including our shoes. Sometimes it's a pain, especially when you have to wonder what good we are doing when everyone else is ignoring the policy. I think the Infection Control Officer is definitely your best option. Good luck!