I work in housekeeping/domestic services in a healthcare setting
Key issues
Reactions to Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) products affect staff working in
housekeeping/domestic services in healthcare because:
- In situations where staff use NRL gloves in the course of their duties,
they are at increased risk of developing latex allergy through the repeated
use of these.
- They have a statutory responsibility to reduce risk of sensitisation
in themselves, their colleagues and their customers/consumers.
Ensure you have and are familiar with:
- A written Policy on
- action to protect staff from developing NRL allergy
- safe accommodation of latex-sensitive members of staff
- A named responsible person for managing Health and Safety
Latex gloves are widely used in housekeeping. However, some people become
allergic to the proteins in NRL, and subsequent reactions to NRL-containing
products can range from mild to severe, occasionally even life threatening.
This may not only impact on the staff who wear the gloves but also on latex-sensitive
people who may be patients or staff.
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Glove selection
Natural rubber latex gloves are simply not usually required for housekeeping
duties as there are synthetic alternatives which will give an equally effective
barrier. In many hospitals, different coloured gloves are used for different
tasks. A variety of colours are available through the manufacturers and
NHS Catalogue in strong PVC gloves which can be allocated to different tasks
such a toilet, kitchen and general cleaning etc.
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General principles
- Be aware that there may be NRL-allergic patients in wards and departments
and look for warning notices that the staff may have put up to make you
and others aware of this Warning notice for entrances
- Before approaching bed-spaces of allergic patients, be sure that you
are not using any NRL-containing products. If you are unsure, check with
the nurses or your supervisor
- Do not use the ward or department NRL gloves for cleaning purposes.
They are in the wards and departments for medical and nursing duties
- Select the right non-NRL glove for the task (each hospital will have
their own glove colour protocols for each Type of cleaning)
- When you have completed the task, wash and remove gloves and wash and
dry hands thoroughly
- Care of hands - Use perfume-free water
based hand creams at the end of each working session to keep your hands
in good condition
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Sensitised Staff
If staff are identified as sensitised to NRL, Occupational Health must
work with the senior member of staff in the department to undertake a risk-assessment
to ensure that the working environment is safe for the continuing employment
of the affected member of staff.
Risk minimisation and education of colleagues
is vital
