CARE HOME SAFETY – DIFFERENCE IN FACEMASK GRADES

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CARE HOME SAFETY DIFFERENCE IN FACEMASK GRADES

• Personal protective Equipment (PPE) has always
  been a vital resource in care homes. Social care
  workers are accustomed to safety equipment such
  as masks, gowns and gloves. The performance and
  quality of facemasks however, has become
  increasingly important and is likely to remain so
  in the post-pandemic years to come.
• Different facemask grades present significantly
  variable levels of protection from respiratory
  diseases and airborne viruses. Here we explore
  the contrasting PPE grades, and which models are
  most appropriate in care home settings.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY IN CARE HOMES
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• Of course, PPE isnt only for the protection of
  care workers but is equally vital for vulnerable
  and immunocompromised residents. Care workers may
  be required to undergo more thorough
  decontamination and take additional preventative
  measures to avoid transporting viral particles
  into a care facility. Covid-19 is most commonly
  transmitted through close contact, or by contact
  with contaminated objects, and so hygiene is
  essential to avoid transmitting the virus.
•  
• Those at higher risk from Coronavirus fall into
  two categories
•  
• High risk those who are considered clinically
  extremely vulnerable.
• Moderate risk those who are considered
  clinically vulnerable.
•  
• Many social care settings will look after a
  majority of patients who fall into one of these
  categories. This includes people who have a
  serious heart condition, take medications such as
  steroids, are aged 70 or over, or have diabetes,
  as a few examples. Outside of care homes,
  vulnerable people are advised to shield i.e.
  to avoid contact with anybody outside of their
  home. Since this is impossible for care home
  residents, the social care sector has a
  responsibility to do everything possible to avoid
  exposing such vulnerable people to a potentially
  deadly virus.
•  
• Sanitation and safety are fundamental working
  practices for all care homes, but it has never
  been so crucial to the wellbeing and protection
  of residents.

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CARE HOME SAFETY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

• The most common way for Covid-19 to transit from
  person to person is through close personal
  contact. For care workers, it is impossible to
  avoid direct contact, as indeed this is an
  essential requirement of providing personal care
  and support to elderly or less capable residents.
• Therefore, the use of PPE continues to be
  highlighted as a critical resource in tackling
  the spread.

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• Along with measures such as regular, thorough
  handwashing, and being vigilant in the lookout
  for symptoms, Public Health England recommends
•  
• Single-use disposable gloves
• Wearing disposable plastic aprons
• Provision of fluid repellant surgical masks
• Using eye protection where there is a risk of
  contamination through the eyes
•  
• The most appropriate type of PPE depends on the
  task at hand. For example, when performing meal
  rounds, if no direct contact is required and you
  will remain at a two-meter distance, then
  disposable gloves and aprons may not be
  necessary. Likewise, in communal areas such as
  dining rooms and lounges, when distance can be
  maintained, full PPE might not be needed.
  However, in any care home setting, a surgical
  facemask is recommended.
•  
• Facemasks are important since anybody could be
  carrying Covid-19, and yet be displaying no
  symptoms. It is possible to transmit the virus to
  a vulnerable person without having had any
  awareness of being infected. Wearing a facemask
  ensures that you limit the potential of passing
  on the virus. This could happen if you were to
  touch your mouth or nose, and then a door handle
  any person using that door handle within a
  certain time may pick up the viral particles.

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THE ROLE OF PPE IN CARE HOME SAFETY

• PPE performs a variety of duties. It protects
  care workers from illnesses or infections carried
  by their patients, protects residents from
  particles brought in from outside of the care
  home setting, and makes the work environment
  safe.
• This type of protection is essential to prevent
  the transmission of Covid-19 but is also
  necessary for securing the welfare of social care
  workers. The core reasons we use PPE in
  professional settings are to

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• Reduce worker exposure to hazards
• Protect against health and safety risks
• Prevent staff illnesses, shortages and
  emergencies
• Improve the health of employees
• Promote a safe, secure, work environment
•  
• Given the significance of facemasks during the
  pandemic, it is crucial to understand the
  difference between coverings to ensure you have
  the most appropriate PPE for your social care
  placement.
•  
• There are three main types of mask, all of which
  have varying protective properties
•  
• Surgical Masks protect your mouth and nose from
  respiratory particles. This protects both care
  workers and residents by minimizing the risk of
  transmitting infection from one person to the
  other.
• Fluid Repellent Surgical Masks (FRSM) protect
  you and your patients from respiratory droplets,
  usually passed through a cough or sneeze, by
  providing a barrier against your mouth and nose.
• Face Coverings the general public must wear a
  face-covering although this does not have to be
  a surgical-grade mask as required for social care
  workers. Face coverings can be made of cloth for
  reuse and can help reduce transmission levels
  when widely used throughout public settings.
• If you are in any doubt as to the right facemask
  required for your role, it is essential to seek
  support from your manager or a social care
  professional.

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NOT ALL FACEMASKS ARE CREATED EQUAL DIFFERENT
FACEMASK GRADES
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• Discussions around the properties of surgical
  grade facemasks have arisen, primarily due to PPE
  shortages. Any face covering is better than none,
  but in a care home setting where most residents
  are likely to be vulnerable, it is vital to have
  the right safety precautions in place.
•  
• Many facemask models have similar names and use
  varying international standards which can make
  it complex to identify the best option. One of
  the key factors is to understand the measurement
  basis, which dictates the numeric element of a
  facemask model number. This works on the
  percentage of particles captured so the higher
  the number, the more effective the protection.
•  
• For example, a facemask that captures 95 of
  particles has the designation 95, such as in
  the commonly used models KN95 and N95. There are
  other surgical standards to bear in mind, such
  as
•  
• Filtration efficiency
• Fit tests
• National safety standards
• Pressure drops which impact the ease of
  breathing for the wearer

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• In the UK, surgical-grade masks that are suitable
  for care worker and patient protection are
  considered a Class I Medical Device. That means
  that they must conform with the design and safety
  standards laid out by the Medical Device
  Regulations (MDD/MDR) and be CE marked.
•  
• European surgical grade masks must conform with
  European Standard EN 14683, which classifies
  masks into three primary categories
•  
• Type I bacteria filtering of 95 or above
• Type II bacteria filtering of 98 or above
• Type IIR bacteria filtering of 98 or above,
  and splash-resistant
•  
•  
• Sterile surgical masks must also carry a CE
  certificate for the sterility aspects of the
  product. These standards are essential for care
  worker safety, as they are more robust than the
  criteria required for general use PPE which is
  designed to protect the wearer, without
  necessarily offering the same degree of
  protection for care home residents.

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THE MOST COMMON FACEMASK GRADES AND WHAT THEY MEAN
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Here are the most common types of facemask in use
throughout social care   N95 N95 facemasks
capture at least 95 of airborne particles. They
must meet particular standards for pressure
drops, airflow rates and leakage rates of under
30 ml per minute (mL/min).   KN95 a KN95
facemask meets the same standards as an N95 when
it comes to 95 or above particle protection.
They must also be fit tested on people, and be
shown to provide a maximum of 8 leakage (this
requirement does not apply to N95 masks).   FFP2
an FFP is a Filtering Face Piece, and is the
European equivalent of the N95 respirator masks
used through US healthcare. FFP2 covers meet the
World Health Organization (WHO) guidance for
protection against Covid-19 transmission and must
meet minimum protection based on concentration
levels.
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Disposable Facemasks disposable facemasks are
appropriate for single use in non-high-risk
settings. However, in care home job, this is not
recommended unless no other PPE is available, or
in an emergency, since they will not offer the
same protection as surgical-grade
facemasks.   For care homes, the
recommendations are that   Type I surgical
facemasks must be worn at all times, even when
not in direct contact. Type II surgical
facemasks should be worn whenever within two
meters of a resident, even if not
touching. Filtering Face Pieces (FFPs) or N95
respirators should be worn when
aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) are carried
out. This is less usual in a care home but could
be required where residents require ventilator
support.
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CHOOSING THE RIGHT FACEMASKS FOR SOCIAL CARE
WORKERS

• The right facemasks for care homes will depend on
  multiple factors, such as whether there are
  vulnerable or high-risk residents on-site, the
  type of care administered, and other health and
  safety control measures in place. However, we can
  be sure that permanent wearing of facemasks in
  social care will continue for the foreseeable
  future, and ensuring you have the proper
  protection is vital for your own health, and for
  that of your patients.

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