3.1.1 Personal Protective Equipment
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provides protection to reduce workers’ exposure to hazardous drug (HD) aerosols and residues. Additional PPE may be required to handle the HDs, such as treating a patient or cleaning a spill. Types of PPE used in handling hazardous drugs:
- Disposable PPE must not be re-used.
- Reusable PPE must be decontaminated and cleaned after use.
- Two pairs of chemotherapy gloves are required for administering antineoplastic HDs.
- Gowns shown to resist permeability by HDs are required when administering injectable antineoplastic HDs.
Appropriate PPE to be worn should be based on your institution’s safety plan and assessment of risk. For its PPE (gowns, gloves, goggles, masks, face shields), your institution should ensure the manufacturer has provided documented evidence of impermeability to HDs.
See the table below as a guide. This table is derived from The Hospital for Sick Children’s policy on Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs. The administering guides below were made based on the inclusion of a closed system transfer device (CSTD).
Personal Protective Equipment for Hazardous Drug (HD) Administration and Other Tasks
| Dose Form | Personal Protective Equipment |
| For injections (IM/SC) | Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown and Face Shield/Mask combo |
| For IV | Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown and Face Shield/Mask combo |
| For oral liquid doses | Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown and Face Shield/Mask combo |
| For topical administration (creams and ointments) | Double Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown |
| For intact oral or ready-to-use dosage forms | Chemo Gloves |
| For aerosolized administration | Follow drug-specific hospital policies |
| For compromised oral dosage forms (capsule opening/pill crushing when no oral dose exists) | Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown, Face Shield and N95 Respirator on blue pad OR prepare in Biosafety Cabinet |
| Patient excreta handling (urine hats, urinals, emptying Foley bags, changing diapers, hygiene bag handling and emesis) | Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown and Face Shield/Mask combo |
| Blood sampling | Chemo Gloves, Face Shield/Mask combo |
| Urine testing (point of care) | Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown and Face Shield/Mask combo |
| Spill management | Double Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown, Face Shield/Safety Goggles and N95 Respirator |
| Room cleaning | Chemo Gloves, Chemo Gown, Face Shield/Safety Goggles and N95 Respirator |
See below for examples of a Hazardous Drugs Precautions PPE poster and a Hazardous Drugs Precautions room sign.
1. Hazardous Drugs Precautions PPE Poster
2. Hazardous Drugs Precautions Room Sign
For more information on types of PPE that are safe for handling HDs, please visit the USP Healthcare Quality & Safety Free General Chapter Downloads form and select the box marked as <800> Hazardous Drugs – Handling in Healthcare Settings (Informational).
This guidance document was developed by Mr. Kaniska Young Tai, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto and Ms. Sylvie Kozlowskyj, Northeast Cancer Centre, Health Sciences North, Sudbury. Reviewed in consultation with Ms. Janie Lappan, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ms. Mary Jo De Courcy, Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, London and Ms. Christina McCauley, POGO/The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto based on the sources in Sub-Section 3.1.7.
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Record of Updates
| Version Number | Date of Effect | Summary of Revisions |
| 1 | 6/28/2021 | Original version posted. |