Best Indoor Shoe Cover Practices in Hospitals

For a while now, we’ve known that shoe covers are an effective tool for cleanliness as well as a great piece of personal protective equipment. They not only help keep dirt and bacteria away, they also help protect shoes and floors.

For indoor shoe covers in hospitals though, it isn’t enough. Despite the effectiveness of shoe covers, there are still practices that people and workers need to follow to draw out its maximum value, while also staying as safe and clean as possible.

In this article, we’ll talk about the best indoor shoe cover practices for people who work in hospitals.

Why Are Shoe Covers Important in Hospitals?

Shoe covers are important in hospitals for a number of reasons. First, they help to keep the hospital floors clean. In a hospital setting, there are constantly people walking around and tracking in all sorts of dirt and bacteria. This can quickly lead to a build-up of contaminants on the floor which can be difficult to clean.

Shoe covers provide a barrier between the dirty floor and the soles of shoes, which helps to prevent the spread of contaminants.

Second, shoe covers help protect the shoes themselves. In a hospital setting, shoes can come into contact with all sorts of dangerous chemicals and other materials. Over time, this can break down the material of the shoe and make them more susceptible to wear and tear.

Shoe covers help to extend the life of shoes by protecting them from these materials.

Third, shoe covers help protect the people who work in hospitals. In a hospital setting, there is a constant risk of exposure to dangerous bacteria and other contaminants. These contaminants can directly relate to high employee illness rate.

Shoe covers help to create a barrier between these contaminants and the skin, which can help to reduce the risk of infection.

The Best Indoor Shoe Cover Practices in Hospitals

Always Have Supplies Available

There are a number of best practices that people who work in hospitals should follow when it comes to indoor shoe covers.

First, always have shoe covers in supply. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to make sure that there are always shoe covers available. In a hospital setting, there is always the potential for an unexpected spill or other contamination.

If there are no shoe covers available, then it’s much more likely that people will be tracking contaminants through the hospital.

Always make sure that covers are in supply or that they have been ordered and are on the way.

Use the Right Type of Shoe Cover for the Job

Second, use the right type of shoe cover for the job. There are a variety of different types of shoe covers available on the market, and each type is designed for a specific purpose.

For example, there are disposable shoe covers that are meant to be thrown away after a single use. These are typically made from paper or plastic and are ideal for situations where there is a high risk of contamination.

There are also shoe covers that are anti-slip. If your job in the hospital requires you to work around slipping hazards or pools of water, then these anti-slip indoor shoe covers may be for you.

Whatever the job and wherever you are working, use the right type of shoe cover for the job.

Change Shoe Covers Often

Third, change shoe covers often. This is especially important if you are working in an area where there is a high risk of contamination.

Shoe covers should be changed as soon as they become dirty or wet. If they are too wet, they can start to disintegrate and become ineffective. If they are too dirty, they can start to spread contaminants around instead of preventing them.

Whenever possible, change into a new pair of shoe covers before entering a new area.

Avoid Direct Contact With Shoes and Shoe Covers

Fourth, avoid direct contact with shoes and shoe covers. In a hospital setting, there is always the potential for contamination.

If you can, avoid coming into direct contact with shoes and shoe covers. This includes avoiding contact with the outsides of shoes and shoe covers as well as the insides.

If you must come into contact with them, make sure that you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

For indoor shoe covers, one good way to avoid direct contact with them is by using automated cover dispensers. Many of these machines allow people to just put their foot in the contraption, and it automatically gets slips a cover on.

The Best Practices for Maximum Effectiveness

In a hospital, many lives are on the line. One can never be too safe when it comes to cleanliness and possible contamination.

Following these best practices can help to ensure that you are using indoor shoe covers correctly in a hospital setting. By doing so, you can help to protect yourself, your shoes, your workers, and most important, the patients in the hospital.