Making PPE designed by surgeons, for surgeons doesn’t mean we’re leaving other industries and professionals out in the cold. Everyone working in an industry where PPE is standard deserves comfort and safety.
Disposable protective apparel isn’t just for the healthcare industry; it’s a crucial safety measure for industries like food service, manufacturing, construction, and some even more surprising fields.
From aprons and jumpsuits to leggings and shoe covers, let’s explore the diverse industries where disposable protective apparel is useful and even vital.
Personal Protective Equipment & Disposable Apparel in the Food Industry
Naturally, PPE is crucial in ensuring food safety and hygiene standards in the food industry. Using disposable apparel, such as shoe covers, aprons, and jumpsuits, is essential in preventing cross-contamination and maintaining a sanitary working environment.
PPE acts as a barrier between the employees and the food, preventing the transfer of contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and chemicals. This helps to reduce the risk of infectious disease transfer within the facility itself and reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses to ensure the safety of consumers. By using disposable apparel like shoe covers, aprons, and jumpsuits, workers can minimize the spread of germs and maintain a clean and hygienic workspace.
PPE and disposable apparel are often mandated by regulatory authorities like USDA to ensure the safety and quality of food products. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in penalties and legal consequences for food processors and producers.
Selecting the Right Food Industry PPE & Disposable Protective Apparel
When choosing disposable protective apparel for food industry applications, fluid impermeability and nonslip features are a must.
Fluid impermeability protects against potential contamination of employees from animal fluids, blood, ingredients, liquids, and other substances. Look for PPE made from polyethylene, polypropylene, or PVC that offer high fluid resistance. Your selection should pass the ASTM F1671 test.
For processing floors in the food industry, preventing slip-and-fall injuries is a major concern. Make sure the leggings, jumpsuits, or boot covers you choose have nonslip features on the bottom of the foot.
More considerations for your PPE purchase:
Buy from a North American manufacturer: Choosing PPE from a North American manufacturer helps your company avoid global supply chain interruptions, and reduces shipping times and costs.
Ensure proper sizing and comfortable fit: Ill-fitting PPE can compromise your employees’ safety, so select disposable protective apparel with one-size-fits-all, flexible sizing, made with breathable panels that don’t compromise fluid impermeability.
Selecting the right PPE for your food processing operations helps prioritize the safety and well-being of your workers while maintaining a productive and compliant workplace.
Disposable Medical Apparel for Veterinary Medicine
Just like in a human hospital or surgery setting, personal protective equipment (PPE) and disposable medical apparel are essential in veterinary medicine.
Beyond the standard gloves, masks, face shields, and surgical masks, veterinarians and their staff need to take special precautions against zoonotic diseases.
Gowns and lab coats, or disposable aprons, leggings, and jumpsuits, provide a protective barrier for veterinarians, shielding them from bodily fluids, chemicals, and zoonotic diseases.
Disposable shoe covers or dedicated clinic shoes can help prevent the spread of diseases by minimizing the transfer of contaminants between different areas.
By employing proper PPE and using disposable medical apparel, veterinarians can provide great care while reducing the risk of infections or injuries.
Single-use disposable apparel or dedicated clinic clothes & shoes?
For veterinarians and their staff, using disposable items like leggings, boot covers, shoe covers, aprons, and jumpsuits can be better than relying solely on scrubs, lab coats, and dedicated clinic shoes.
Disposable items made from impermeable material provide a better barrier against zoonotic bacteria, viruses, and other potential hazards, ensuring a safe working environment. Using disposable items ensures stringent hygiene practices are followed. Each new item guarantees a clean surface, reducing the risk of cross-contamination between patients or different areas within a healthcare facility.
Once used, these disposable items can be discarded, eliminating the need for laundering or extensive cleaning. This saves your staff time and effort and helps them establish a better work-life balance, which improves morale in an industry plagued by compassion fatigue and mental health challenges.
Disposable medical apparel can be more cost-effective than scrubs, lab coats, and other apparel. While dedicated lab coats may seem like a long-term investment, the costs associated with regular laundering and maintenance can quickly add up. Disposable items offer a cost-effective solution as they require no extra expenditure on cleaning or repair.
Disposable Protective Clothing for the Sterile Processing Department
A Sterile Processing Department (SPD) plays a crucial role in healthcare facilities by ensuring that medical equipment and instruments are properly sterilized and maintained. This department is responsible for cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing medical equipment to prevent the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
In the SPD, PPE is particularly important due to the presence of potentially infectious materials, like body fluids and blood.
Before entering a sterile processing department, it is crucial to don the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) correctly. This not only ensures your own safety but also helps maintain the sterile environment. For our friends in the sterile processing department, your PPE kit includes:
- Gloves: Protect hands from any potential contamination and prevent the spread of microorganisms.
- Gown: Put on a protective gown that covers the entire body, including the arms. This helps prevent any external contaminants from reaching the sterile environment.
- Surgical Mask: Wear a face mask to prevent the inhalation of airborne particles and to minimize the spread of respiratory droplets.
- Protective eyewear: Wear goggles or a face shield to protect your eyes from splashes or airborne contaminants.
- Headcover: Wear a disposable cap or a hairnet to cover the hair, as it can harbor bacteria.
- Shoe covers: Use disposable shoe covers to prevent outdoor contaminants from entering the sterile area.
Remember to always follow the proper procedures for donning and doffing PPE, as outlined by your facility’s guidelines.
By wearing the necessary PPE, you are ensuring the safety of both yourself and the sterile environment, minimizing the risk of contamination and infection.
More Industries That Benefit From Disposable Protective Clothing
Food processing, veterinary medicine, and the sterile processing department are just three examples of industries and professionals outside the surgical suite who can benefit from the right disposable protective clothing. At Sloan, we’ve seen many others benefit from the STA-DRI line of products, like:
- Dental offices and orthodontic practices
- Tattoo parlors and body piercing studios
- Nursing homes and assisted living facilities
- Laboratories and research facilities
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution
- Home healthcare providers
- Blood banks and blood donation centers
- Emergency medical services and ambulance providers
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy centers
- Travel clinics and vaccination centers
- Funeral homes and mortuaries
- Coroners and medical examiners
Regardless of the application or industry, everyone deserves to stay safe and dry while they perform the essential functions of their job.
Try Our STA-DRI Line in Your Industry
We’re on a mission to keep everyone safe and dry every workday. Our one-size-fits-all technology ensures that your facility always has protective gear for the whole team and eliminates mixups in your supply rooms.
Try the PPE everyone’s talking about—free! We’ll send you plenty of samples for the whole team to try.
