Gloves & Avoidable Waste

awareness contaminant environment gloves infection waste Oct 03, 2024

Take a moment or 5 - do you really need those gloves? ๐Ÿค”

How many times in a shift would you don a pair of gloves? ๐Ÿงค

In the hustle and bustle of a busy shift, it's easy to throw on some gloves for the various tasks you do without so much as a second thought - but do you really need them? And does it matter if you wear them or not? ๐Ÿคท‍โ™‚๏ธ

Non-sterile gloves should be worn for any task where there is a risk of exposure to blood, bodily fluids, or surfaces and equipment that could be contaminated by infectious or cytotoxic agents. ๐Ÿฉธ
In these instances - gloves have been shown to reduce contamination and infection for staff and patients. ๐Ÿฅ

What’s the problem then? There are 2 really big ones! โš ๏ธ

Infection control ๐Ÿฆ 

๐Ÿฆ The misuse or overuse of gloves has actually been shown to increase the risk of contamination and infection transmission due to poorer compliance with hand hygiene. ๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿงผ

๐Ÿฆ Excessive glove use can cause occupational dermatitis, leading to breaks and micro cuts in the lovely natural protective barrier that is your skin. ๐Ÿฅบ

๐Ÿฆ Gloves that are not changed between individual patient tasks spread contaminants to other surfaces, equipment, and patients! ๐Ÿ”„

Environmental impact ๐ŸŒ

๐ŸŒOn average, 30 pairs of gloves are used in a 12-hour shift for a single patient! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

๐ŸŒAcross the Hunter New England District (NSW), ~28.3 million gloves are used per year - the carbon footprint of that is equivalent to 175 trips around Australia in a fuel-efficient car! ๐Ÿš—๐Ÿ’จ

๐ŸŒNational statistics on annual glove use are hard to come by, but to give you some perspective, the revenue generated from sales of medical gloves in Australia in 2023 was $140 million! ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฒ

What can you do? ๐Ÿคท‍โ™€๏ธ
Before you pull on that pair of gloves, ask yourself three simple questions:

๐Ÿงค Why are you wearing gloves? โ“
๐Ÿงค Who or what are you trying to protect? ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ
๐Ÿงค Are gloves the best choice for this? ๐Ÿ”

Always remember your 5 moments of hand hygiene - and spare a moment for the environment too! ๐ŸŒฑ

Build Knowledge โœ…
Improve Safety โœ…

Refs:

ACSQHC (2024) Sustainable glove use for healthcare workers. https://shorturl.at/cXooK

HNELHD (2024) Gloves Off! https://shorturl.at/u0fdG 

Horizon Grand View Research (2024) Australian disposable medical gloves market size and outlook. https://shorturl.at/fYU7F

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