Road Map for K-12 Education - Three Strategies for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Schools

Road Map for K-12 Education

Three Strategies for PPE in Schools Summer, 2020 V.1.0

Three Strategies for PPE in Schools Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a strategic risk mitigation strategy in the occupational health and safety hierarchy of control. If the PPE is not damaged, it can support individual protection and is recommended to prevent disease transmission by asymptomatic carriers. However, this strategy needs to be paired with other risk mitigation strategies that are more effective at the classroom and school level, such as improving air quality and de-densifying learning environments.

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― Why is PPE important?

Face Masks: The CDC recommends that adults and children over age two wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth in any community setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. nj The purpose of wearing masks in public now is to protect the community. Since so many people who have COVID-19 do not have symptoms, wearing masks can help reduce the possibility that someone without symptoms could transmit the disease to others. nj Since masks reduce the spray of that person’s saliva or infectious respiratory droplets, masks can help reduce this kind of virus transmission.1 nj Best practices suggest: washing hands before and after placing masks on; replacing face masks when they become moist, visibly soiled, or damaged; and adding a filter and using hydrophobic fabric to reduce the transmission of fluid droplets.2

Educational Adaptation

Health Promotion

Risk Mitigation

Gloves: Gloves should only be worn to prevent the spread of disease when distributing meals. If disposable gloves make contact with another person’s hands, or with the wearer’s face, they should be discarded. Gloves should be removed properly to prevent contact from the exterior of the gloves with exposed skin.

Outer Garments: If smocks, aprons, or outer garments are worn throughout the school day by custodial or food service staff, these garments should be discarded or washed at the school building before being reused.

Authors / Summer - 2020 Kara Rubio Program Coordinator, HealthySchools Pennsylvania

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PPE in Schools Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a strategic risk mitigation strategy in the occupational health and safety hierarchy of control.

Hierarchy of Controls

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Strategies for PPE in Schools

Face Masks

Gloves

Outer Garments

Wearing masks can help reduce the possibility that someone without symptoms could transmit the disease to others.

Gloves should only be worn to prevent the spread of disease when distributing meals.

Garments worn by custodial or food service staff should be discarded or washed at the school building before being reused.

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01 ― Teach and reinforce when and where students should wear PPE. nj Face masks should be worn by children following recommendations from the CDC and American Academy of Pediatricians. ‒ Children under two years of age should not wear cloth face masks ‒ With the understanding that students, particularly younger ones, may remove masks throughout the school day, school leaders should identify the areas where strict enforcement of masks is most critical. Some of these areas include school buses, in the hallways and restrooms, when in line for food during lunch service, and when in line for drop-off or pick-up. nj If students or school staff do not have a mask, make masks available through procurement or by teaching students and parents how to make face masks with material found at home. nj During the school day, masks should be stored in a plastic bag in the student’s backpack or locker to reduce cross-contamination.

02 ― Supply administrative staff and teachers with PPE. This is necessary for safety and increasing staff comfort with new conditions. nj Make front office staff accessible by phone or email rather than in-person to reduce the risk of contamination. When there is a delivery or a parent picking up a child, have staff wear masks and gloves when interacting with people outside the school community. nj A protective barrier such as an acrylic sneeze guard should be installed where possible to minimize contamination between parents and school staff.

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Strategies for PPE in Schools

03 ― Reinforce PPE use for high risk staff, including custodial, food service staff, and school nurses. nj Custodial staff should follow these precautions when cleaning or applying disinfectant: ‒ Always wear PPE including face masks and gloves, and in some instances, eye guards. Read and understand a chemical product’s recommended PPE requirements, as indicated on the product Safety Data Sheet. ‒ Change gloves every time staff enters a new room to avoid cross contamination between rooms. ‒ Properly dispose of PPE by bagging used PPE and sealing the bag before depositing it into a covered trash or waste receptacle, preferably outside the school building.

nj Food Service Staff should wear PPE to ServSafe standards for food preparation, change gloves between lunch periods, and follow proper disposal guidelines. ‒ If cafeterias continue to be used for food service, sneeze guards and plastic shields should be installed in the lunchroom to minimize the risk of contamination.

nj School Nurses will be on the frontlines, as the CDC recommends that a staff person is designated to respond to COVID-19 concerns.3 In a Perkins and Will survey across the United States, we found that ~40% of schools had a nurse ≤1 day of the week. If a nurse is not available at all times, allocate PPE for an additional COVID-19 point person. ‒ The National Association for School Nurses has guidance available for PPE.4

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― How should we address staff and students with speech or hearing impairment?

Face masks pose special communication difficulties for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speechimpaired.5 Modified “Communicator Face Masks� with fog-resistant clear panels are available, though commercially-manufactured versions are in short supply (with just one US manufacturer with FDA approval to make these masks for clinical use6).

Though these masks are harder to purchase, designs are freely available for home production.7 Note that formal data is not yet available on the efficacy of these masks, given that clear panels may fog up. Additionally, these are often made of clear vinyl which include phthalates, a class of chemicals used to soften plastics and are associated with adverse health impacts including, hormone disruption, asthma, developmental and reproductive health problems.8

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Strategies for PPE in Schools

Face masks pose special communication difficulties for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speechimpaired.

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Strategies for PPE in Schools

Personal Protective Equipment is specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials. —OSHA

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― References 1

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763852

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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/non-us-settings/emergency-considerations-ppe. html#ppe-specific-strategies

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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html

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https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASN/3870c72d-fff9-4ed7-833f-215de278d256/UploadedImages/ PDFs/03182020_NASN_Considerations_for_School_Nurses_Regarding_Care_of_Students_and_Staff_that_Become_Ill_at_ School_or_Arrive_Sick.pdf

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52764355

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https://safenclear.com/product/communicator-box/

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https://deafhhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Communicator-Face-Mask.pdf

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https://cehn.org/our-work/eco-healthy-child-care/ehcc-faqs/phthalates-polyvinyl-chloride-pvc/

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We are here to assist you in your return to school.

For more information, please contact: K12Education@perkinswill.com Š 2020 The guidance provided on this site is based on the available information as of the date of publication and does not replace federal, state, or local public health recommendations but aggregates best practices and innovative solutions at the intersection of buildings and school health. We encourage schools to reach out and seek expert advice on their unique circumstances.