Personal Protective Equipment
Law and Legislation
DISCUSSION POST
Assembly Bill 2537 (AB 2537), Personal Protective Equipment: Health Care Employees is created to protect staff from COVID-19 exposures in the workplace. Starting on April 1, 2021, employers in hospital settings are required to maintain a three-month supply of new and un-expired personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition, the bill requires employers to create and execute effective written procedures for periodically determining the amount and types of equipment used in its normal consumption. The bill classifies seven specific types of PPE that must be maintained in an amount equal to three months of normal consumption: “N95 filtering facepiece respirators, powered air-purifying respirators with high-efficiency particulate air filters, elastomeric air-purifying respirators and appropriate particulate filters or cartridges, surgical masks, isolation gowns, eye protection, and shoe coverings” (Bill Text – AB-2537 Personal protective equipment: health care employees., 2020). In addition, hospitals must be ready to verify their respirator fit testing program up to date and compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Respiratory Protection Standard. Employers should provide training for PPE donning and doffing procedures to minimize the risk of exposure to the employee or contamination of the transport vehicle or health care facility environment. Ensure all PPE is disposed of after use and kept separate for waste disposal, minimizing the risk for exposure to housekeeping and waste disposal workers and for contamination of other environments. The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 states that the legal obligation of the employer is to provide and maintain a safe and healthful workplace for employees. Nurses and health care workers should be protected while doing their jobs to impact our health care system’s ability to respond to pandemics.
