Personal protective equipment against bloodborne viruses

This page explains when personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used against bloodborne viruses (BBVs).

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) set out a hierarchy of controls where elimination is the most effective measure and personal protective equipment is the last resort.

However, PPE should be considered where the risk to health and safety cannot be adequately controlled by other means or it would not be reasonable to implement other control measures.

When PPE is deemed necessary, employers should consider:

the type of PPE needed
its safe use
maintenance
disposal

For activities that involve possible exposure to BBVs, non-disposable PPE, such as laboratory coats, overalls aprons or gloves, may be required.

There is more guidance on gloves as protection from BBVs.

The equipment must be stored appropriately, checked and kept clean, and repaired or replaced if faulty.

If PPE may be, or has been, contaminated by blood or other body fluids, it must be:

removed safely before leaving the workplace
kept apart from uncontaminated PPE
cleaned and decontaminated or, if necessary, disposed of safely

Laboratory work

For laboratory deliberate activities with BBVs or handling clinical samples in laboratories that may contain BBVs read Management and operation of microbiological containment laboratories for further information on PPE.

Gloves as protection from BBVs

Gloves should be able to provide protection from exposure to BBVs for the duration of the tasks being carried out.

Consider how an exposure to BBVs could occur to identify what type of glove is required to provide protection. Gloves cannot prevent inoculation injuries with some sharps but can reduce the likelihood of an accidental infection.

Consider the type and duration of possible contact with any BBV contaminated material, user sizes, comfort and task to identify an appropriate type of glove.

Ensure that the gloves provided to employees are compliant with the appropriate standard for BBV protection.

Provide training to employees on putting on:

putting on and taking off gloves
when to change gloves
how to dispose of them

Find out more on choosing the right gloves to protect skin.

Healthcare environments

General hospital and healthcare environments are likely to require the use of disposable medical gloves (also known as medical examination gloves, exam gloves and surgical gloves).

NHS guidance is available on glove use in healthcare settings:

Consider if protection during any activities such as surgical work can be improved by double gloving or using glove liners.

Standards for gloves against BBVs

The primary standard by which gloves should conform to demonstrate suitable protection to the wearer from biological agents is EN374-5. It is available from the British Standards Institution.

Depending on your work activities, you can find HSE guidance to help you when:

How to remove gloves safely

When removing potentially contaminated gloves, it is important to ensure you do not transfer the contaminant onto your skin.

HSE’s guidance on work-related skin disease includes posters showing correct removal of gloves to minimise contamination of skin.

Hand hygiene and disposable gloves

It is important to remember that glove use is not a replacement for effective hand washing. The two should be used together to protect the wearer and others, such as a patient or client being treated.

There are some key requirements for safe hygiene and safe disposal of gloves:

when using disposable type gloves, wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before putting them on
where client or patient treatments are involved, a fresh pair of disposable examination-style gloves must be worn for each procedure and must be disposed of between procedures to avoid cross-infection. Never wash and reuse disposable gloves
if you need to stop work temporarily, for example to answer a phone, always remove and discard the gloves you are wearing and replace them when you continue working
always wash your hands after glove removal – gloves are not a replacement for hand washing
moisturising hand cream, applied after hand washing, can help prevent skin drying after frequent washing. Such products should never be relied upon as a physical barrier to protect the skin from infection

Post-mortem or embalming work

You can find information on post-mortem or embalming work in managing infection risks when handling the deceased.