Emergency medical services (EMS) workers go through a lot of training regarding safety when donning and doffing barrier clothing such as disposable gloves, according to the Journal of Emergency Medical Services.
However, these workers must remember to change their exam grade gloves at appropriate times during a call so they do not contaminate clean surfaces. This is true even if the patient does not have any visible lesions or is not vomiting. Per best practices, EMS workers should don gloves prior to touching a patient and remove them after a procedure or assessment is finished before touching a clean surface.
If workers must come into contact with patients after removing their gloves, they should immediately don a new pair. This indicates that workers should have ample supplies of disposable gloves on hand for the multiple changes.
Additionally, EMS workers need the appropriate gloves for the call. EMS workers frequently choose heavy duty exam grade gloves for the extra protection offered by the additional thickness and extended cuff. Additionally, if they are responding to a call involving dangerous chemicals, such as an on-the-job injury at a manufacturing plant, they must have a glove material that is resistant to the chemical involved in the accident, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
