As with most personal protective equipment (PPE), the type of item you select is based on the potential hazards you may encounter throughout your day.
Using PPE provides a physical barrier between micro-organisms and the wearer. It offers protection by helping prevent contamination from or of hands, eyes, hair and any other exposed areas of the body, and from entering or exiting the controlled environment.
If you work in medical, laboratory, cleanroom, chemical or emergency environments, the hazards you may face are likely to be diverse and complicated. So it will in most cases be efficient to have a system for protection and control that has disposable shoe covers available from a dispenser within the clothing area for whenever they are required.
The shoe covers that you use should be approved of according to your workplace rules and procedures, one of which should be that they are never reused, as this will increase contamination. Furthermore, it is paramount that they are disposed of properly and in line with a strict process.
The use of disposable shoe covers helps maintain a sterile environment while eliminating the risk of contamination to the cleanroom and the wearer.
