Single-use gloves should be changed when?

Single-use gloves should be changed when?

• A. Only after a break
• B. When torn or contaminated; when switching tasks; after a break; and after 4 hours of continuous use
• C. At the end of shift
• D. Never

Answer: (B)

Gloves are a protective barrier that must stay intact to prevent cross-contamination. They should be changed whenever that barrier could be compromised: if a glove tears or becomes contaminated, you need a clean pair; when you switch from one task to another, fresh gloves prevent transferring contaminants to the next activity; after a break, a new pair helps ensure you’re not carrying anything you picked up during the break; and after several hours of continuous use, glove material can degrade, increasing the chance of micro-tears or reduced protection. Because these four situations cover the main ways the glove barrier can fail, changing gloves in these cases is the safest practice. Changing only after a break misses other important moments, changing at the end of a shift is too late for ongoing tasks, and never changing gloves is unsafe.

Gloves are a protective barrier that must stay intact to prevent cross-contamination. They should be changed whenever that barrier could be compromised: if a glove tears or becomes contaminated, you need a clean pair; when you switch from one task to another, fresh gloves prevent transferring contaminants to the next activity; after a break, a new pair helps ensure you’re not carrying anything you picked up during the break; and after several hours of continuous use, glove material can degrade, increasing the chance of micro-tears or reduced protection. Because these four situations cover the main ways the glove barrier can fail, changing gloves in these cases is the safest practice. Changing only after a break misses other important moments, changing at the end of a shift is too late for ongoing tasks, and never changing gloves is unsafe.