Back to Work Guidance – Safety and 4 PPE Products

Posted: June 29, 2020 | Author: mfsupplyblog | Filed under: covid-19, hand sanitizer, KN95, kn95 gb2626-2006, kn95 price, nitrile gloves, Personal Protective Equipment, PPE | Tags: face mask, hand sanitizer, kn95, n95, nitrile gloves, PPE, PPE Supplier, protective mask, surgical mask | Leave a comment

Safely Reopening, Restarting, Renormalizing

New Jersey entered Stage Two of our recovery as Outdoor Dining and Indoor, Non-Essential Retail opened on June 15. On June 22 Hair Salons and Barber Shops Reopened. I had my first meal in a restaurant last week! I got to see the new Safety rules in action first hand. The servers and waitstaff wore assorted PPE including 3-Ply masks and rubber gloves that were changed constantly in order to minimize cross contamination.

Many of our customers have asked for help determining what PPE they should provide to their workforce. We like the NJMEP 2020 Return to Work and Recovery Guide published June 23, 2020. Below, we’ve summarized guidance taken from expert sources on the use of masks, respirators, gloves and hand sanitizer. It includes a chock full of information from experts that can help you return to work safely and compliantly.

Before you chose to implement any of the ideas suggested in thisdocument you must evaluate and determine, with the assistanceof your legal counsel, accounting and human resource teams, thelegality and effectiveness of the potential application captured in thisdocument.

FACE MASK OPTIONS

Many states require workers and customers to wear protective face coverings while on the premises or in the office. The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community transmission. Cloth face coverings may prevent people who don’t know they have the virus from transmitting it to others. These face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators and are not appropriate substitutes for them in workplaces where masks or respirators are recommended or required.

Many organizations are providing Disposable 3-Ply Face Masks to their customers and staff. These Civilian Grade disposable masks that resemble Surgical masks are designed to filter out airborne germs, particulates, pollen, bacterial particles and droplets common in daily life. They are splash resistant, and reduce the risk of most droplets and secretions exhaled by the wearer from contaminating their surroundings. They should be constructed of non-woven polypropylene and electrostatic melt blown cloth. If they are China made, they should be certified to the standard GB/T 32610-2016. We recommend 3-Ply Civilian masks that are FDA Registered with lab test reports showing Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) of 90% of greater.

Please Note: Employees should continue to follow their routine policies and procedures for PPE (if any) that they would ordinarily use for their job tasks.

N95s & KN95 RESPIRATOR MASK GUIDANCE

N95 or alternative Respirator Masks including KN95s are appropriate for the following workers:

• Employees with Broad Exposure
• Cafeteria Workers
• Deep-Cleaning Staff
• Employees working closer than 6-feet
• First Responders
• Onsite Screening Team
• Receptionists
• Security Guards
• Shipping/Receiving Employees

In response to respirator shortages caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for importing alternatives to the US NIOSH N95s. For more information on this directive, read the guidance here.
Please Note: Employees should continue to follow their routine policies and procedures for PPE (if any) that they would ordinarily use for their job tasks.

Interesting fact: Prior to Covid-19, there were ample USA N95s available in the marketplace and KN95s and other country’s FFPs were not widely available in the US.

GLOVE GUIDANCE

Gloves made of Latex, Nitrile or Vinyl are appropriate for the following roles:

• Cafeteria Workers
• Deep-Cleaning Staff
• Employees working closer than 6-feet
• First Responders
• Onsite Screening Team
• Respective personnel when recommended by the cleaning/disinfecting product being used.

NOTE: The CDC indicated that gloves do not protect individuals against Covid-19 because the virus does not enter the body through the hands.

HAND SANITIZER

The WHO recommends placing sanitizing hand rub dispensers in prominent places around the workplace. Make sure these dispensers are regularly refilled. Provide and maintain hand sanitizer stations at entry and exit points.
The CDC recommends using Alcohol based hand rub (ABHR) with greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol. Hand rubs are generally less irritating to hands and are effective in the absence of a sink. For best practices on hand washing with Hand sanitizer, we like this video from Johns Hopkins University.
Important note: Recently, the FDA advised consumers not to use hand sanitizer products manufactured by Eskbiochem due to the potential presence of methanol (wood alcohol), a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. To ensure the products you are using are both safe and effective, we recommend using a hand sanitizer made in the USA by an FDA registered facility.

ADDITIONAL PRODUCT LINES

In addition to Hand Sanitizer, Gloves, Facemasks and Respirators, MF Supply now offers a comprehensive offering of PPE & Safety Equipment, including:

• Face-shields
• Goggles
• Gowns
• Thermometers
• UV-C Disinfecting systems
• And More!

Next up, stay tuned for guidance on Disinfectating your workplace.

Stay Safe!
Robin & the MF Supply Team

We Invite You To Request a Quote, Download a Guide or a Line Card Today!

Six Reasons to buy from MF Supply

1. Full ecommerce enabled website with technical manual available 24/7.
2. Experts at compliant & certified parts.
3. Same day drop ship from factory for thousands of items.
4. Functional Equivalents to expensive brand name parts saves money.
5. Creatively solve problems including hard to find parts and long lead times.
6. WBE/WOSB Woman Owned Certified Small Business.

Please forward you comments to robin@mfsupply.com

---