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5/20/2021 COVID-19-Control and Prevention I Occupational Safety and Health Administration including those in healthcare, postmortem care, and laboratories, may have exposure to aerosols for which higher level PPE (including N95 respirator with an assigned protection factor of 10 or better) is needed. • When disposable gloves are used, workers should typically use a single pair of nitrile exam gloves (unless other gloving protocols are necessary for the work setting or task). Change gloves if they become torn or visibly contaminated with blood or body fluids. ■ When both face and eye protection are needed, use surgical masks and either goggles or face shields. o Personal eyeglasses are not considered adequate eye protection. o Cloth face coverings are not acceptable substitutes for PPE intended to prevent worker exposure to droplets or other splashes or sprays of liquids. ■ If workers need respirators, they must be used in the context of a comprehensive respiratory protection program that meets the requirements of OSHA's Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134) and includes medical exams, fit testing, and training. o Surgical masks are not respirators and do not provide the same level of protection to workers as properly- fitted respirators. Cloth face coverings are also not acceptable substitutes for respirators. o An OSHA poster(available in 16 languages) and video (Spanish) provide information about how to properly wear and dispose of filtering facepiece respirators. ■ If there are shortages of PPE items, such as respirators or gowns, they should be prioritized for high-hazard activities. o Workers need respiratory protection when performing or while present for aerosol-generating procedures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and intubation. o Workers must be protected against exposure to human blood, body fluids, other potentially infectious materials as well as hazardous chemicals and contaminated environmental surfaces. ■ CDC provides strategies for optimizing the supply of PPE, including guidance on extended use and limited reuse of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and methods for decontaminating and reusing disposable filtering facepiece respirators during crises. o These guidelines are intended for use in healthcare but may help employers in other sectors optimize their PPE supplies as well. ■ After removing PPE, always wash hands with soap and water, if available, for at least 20 seconds. Ensure that hand hygiene facilities (e.g., sink or alcohol-based hand sanitizer) are readily available at the point of use (e.g., at or adjacent to the PPE removal area). • Employers should establish, and ensure workers follow, standard operating procedures for cleaning (including laundering) PPE and items such as uniforms or laboratory coats, as well as for maintaining, storing, and disposing of PPE. When PPE is contaminated with human blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials, employers must follow applicable requirements of the Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) with respect to laundering. OSHA's Enforcement Procedures for the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens (CPL 02-02-069) provide additional information. Employers in all sectors may experience shortages of PPE, including gowns, face shields, face masks, and respirators, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although employers are always responsible for complying with OSHA's PPE standards (in general industry, 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, and, in construction, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E), including the Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134), whenever they apply, OSHA is providing temporary enforcement flexibility for certain requirements under these and other health standards. See the Enforcement Memoranda section of the Standards page for further information. Additional Considerations for Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection When people touch a surface or object contaminated with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and then touch their own eyes, noses, or mouths, they may expose themselves to the virus. https:/Iwww.osha.gov/coronavirus/controI-prevention 619