Protective clothing and equipment (eg, gowns, lab coats, gloves, masks and protective eyewear or face shied) should be worn to prevent contamination of street clothing and to protect the skin of DHCP from exposures to blood and body substances. OSHA blood-borne pathogens standard requires sleeves to be long enough to protect the forearms when the gown is worn as PPE (ie, when spatter and spray of blood, saliva or OPIM to the forearms is anticipated).
Recommendations
1. Wear protective clotihing (eg, reusable or disposable gown, laboratory coat or uniform) that covers personal clothing and skin (eg, forearms) likely to be soiled with blood, saliva or OPIM).
2. Change protective clothing if visibly soiled.
3. Change immediately or as soon as feasible if penetrated by blood or other potentially infectious fluids.
4. Remove barrier protection, including gloves, mask, eyewear and gown before departing work area (eg, dental patient care, instrument processing or laboratory area).