Snneha Lukaa
Selecting the right PPE kit is essential to protect yourself from the deadly COVID-19. The demand for the kit has seen a heavy rise ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 in India as frontline workers like doctors, nurses, policemen and others need to use the kit for health and safety purpose. If you too are looking to purchase the kit, then here’s a short guide that will help you select the right protective gear.
What is PPE?
PPE kit is a kit consisting of a facemask, a set of gloves, shoe cover, hood cap and a body suit. The kit is disposable and can only be used once by one person prior to disposal; it has also become an important part of the coronavirus treatment as it helps frontline warriors protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others. The kit is not just in demand by the corona workers but also an essential part of various work environments that exposes workers to hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, sharp objects and extreme temperature.
Things to consider when selecting buying PPE kit
Safety and trust: Check on the quality of the kit and see if it is government certified. The kit should be either certified by South Indian Textile Research Association (SITRA) or by Coimbatore and Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE) as these two are officially recognized laboratories for conducting test on body coveralls in India.
Material: Check if the kit is breathable and is impermeable to blood and body fluids. The quality of the material used should 70 GSM as it is approved by SITRA. 70 GSM suit is usually better than 90. Checking on this is important as breathable kits enhance protection and also don’t make you feel hot. The fabric should made polypropylene fibre and spunbonded non-woven. Also, check if the coverall has passed Synthetic Blood Penetration test at SITRA. Prefer log colour kits to detect possible contamination and strictly avoid black colour.
Fitting: As per the SITRA specification, the coverall should be a universal fit and should come in built with a hood cap. Zipper of the coverall should be covered with a flap to avoid accumulation of microbes.
Check on other items: When selecting the kit, check on items like boot cover, goggles and face mask. The boot cover should be of the same fabric as that of coverall; see if soft elastic is fitted at two levels-ankle and end. The goggles should be transparent with zero power and should be covered with elastic band or adjustable holder. The mask should have a high filtration efficiency and should be breathable.
Assessment: The first step towards One of the important steps towards choosing the PPE kit is to check if it has passed the hazard management test. Survey the site and understand the hazard you will be exposed to. In relation to preventing yourself from COVID-19, first assess if the area you are travelling to is listed as red zone or containment one. If you are going to such place, then wearing a PPE kit is essential.
Training: Once you have selected the kit, it is important that you train your workers on its usage-how to wear the kit, how to take it off, how to make adjustments, its fittings, manufacturer instructions, warnings and its disposal.
Documentation: The last step is verifying that the employees know the right usage of the kit. You can conduct a paper audit in the form of questionnaire to know that the equipment is used in proper manner.
If you are choosing the PPE kit for yourself or your workers, then ensure that you select the kit that meets with the specifications of the Bureau of Indian Standards. The BIS has mentioned in its statement that the kit for preventing corona should not only be fluid resistant but also virus resistant. The quality of the kit along with any leakage and its seam strength needs to be checked. Also, most PPE kits are not reusable.
Credit Fair is connecting Doctors and clinics to trusted vendors such as Texport.
Credit Fair along with Textport is dealing in providing PPE kits to combat the coronavirus. The kits are government compliant and include a single use coverall, facemask, non-collapsible goggles, gloves and ankle length shoe cover.