WA PPE Supplies & State-Approved Conservation Strategies

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The State of Washington is now posting the state supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), including donations, National Strategic Stockpile distributions, and state orders for more equipment. Check the levels of all equipment here.

The State Department of Health has also issued guidelines for conservation of PPE, with a framework for PPE usage during standard recommended usage, when we need to conserve PPE, and when the shortage is extreme. Check those guidelines, and if you are being asked to use, not use, or ration your PPE in a way that is not safe, contact us immediately by calling your Shop Steward, Union Rep, or emailing safetyreport@ufcw21.org.

Washington State Department of Health Personal Protective Equipment conservation strategies for health care workers

Source: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/PPEConservationStrategies.pdf

All healthcare facilities need to implement the following PPE conservation strategies to the greatest extent possible at this time:

Engineering Controls (put barrier between hazard and the healthcare provider)

  • Isolate patients in an airborne infection isolation room or private room with door closed.

  • Use physical barriers such as plastic windows at reception, curtains between patients, etc.

  • Properly maintain ventilation systems to provide air movement from clean to contaminated flow.

Administrative Controls (work practices that reduce or prevent hazardous exposures)

  • Cancel all non-urgent surgeries, procedures and appointments for which PPE is used.

  • Exclude all staff not directly involved in patient care from the patient’s room (e.g., dietary, housekeeping employees).

  • Reduce face-to-face HCP encounters with patients (e.g., bundling activities, video monitoring).

  • Allow one asymptomatic essential caregiver to assist with the care of a patient with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, but exclude all other visitors.

  • Cohort patients: Group together patients who are confirmed to have COVID-19.

  • Cohort HCP: Assign designated teams of HCP to provide care for all patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

  • Screen patients for acute respiratory illness either by phone or telehealth prior to nonurgent care or elective visits to reduce patients visits.

  • Use telemedicine to screen and manage patients to reduce patient visits.

  • Schedule respiratory clinics to minimize PPE use.

  • Continue to use simple face masks for source control in waiting rooms.

Personal Protective Equipment

  • Follow PPE Conservation Strategies (yellow) on page 2 of this document if resources allow. Facilities using extreme strategies will be prioritized for PPE allocation.

  • Reserve N95 respirators for confirmed/suspected COVID patients in ICUs and those requiring aerosol generating procedures per DOH Infection Control Guidance.

  • Use alternatives to N95 respirators where feasible (e.g., other disposable filtering face piece respirators, elastomeric respirators with appropriate filters or cartridges, PAPR).

  • Limit respirators during training: Determine which HCPs need to be in a respiratory protection program; limited re-use of respirators by individual HCP for training & fit testing.

  • Shift eye protection from disposable to re-usable devices (i.e., goggles, reusable faceshields)

  • Shift gown use towards cloth isolation gowns; consider use of coveralls.

Resources: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/index.htm

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/PPEConservationStrategies.pdf