The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) just released research of isolation gowns used in many healthcare facilities, and it shows inconsistencies in performance across different manufacturers of gowns.

The conclusion of the study said that many of these gowns do not meet the standards set for them by the American National Standards Institute and that the standards might need to be revisited. After gloves, gowns are the second most utilized piece of PPE in healthcare work and they are intended to keep workers safe from blood or other body fluids and secretions. With recent threats of infectious diseases like Ebola, keeping the barrier between workers and patients safe is especially important.

The research looked at 22 different models of isolation gowns submitted by six different manufacturers and they were tested based on criteria set by the ATSM International (the American Society for Testing and Materials) and other associations. They found that seven of the 22 gowns did not meet the standard for acting as a protective barrier against liquids, and some of the seams or ties on the gown were not tight enough to keep liquids out entirely. Some did not test well against tearing and breaking standards. Manufacturers of these isolation gowns are working with NIOSH to correct any areas where their gowns might not be meeting the expectations set by NIOSH.

ASTM plans to use these findings to create new standards on isolation gowns for manufacturers who will make them more effective for infection workers and other healthcare workers. NIOSH says they continue to work to ensure the safety of healthcare workers in other areas like respiratory health and updated certifications.

Though PPE is very important it also requires compliance from workers in order to do its job. A survey of healthcare workers from NIOSH in 2011 showed that healthcare workers working with serious disinfecting chemicals did not always wear PPE to keep themselves clean from these substances. They may have thought there was no danger since they were not working with a patient, but chemicals meant to sterilize equipment can be dangerous to workers. The study shows that many did not receive training on how to safely handle these substances, or they reported that safety procedures were not available. They did not always wear protective gloves or other garments like a gown. A big reason they said they did not properly use PPE was that “exposure was minimal”, but it only takes one time for a worker’s life to be forever changed.