Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment Policy
MP 0172/22 - Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment Policy (pdf 149KB)
Applicable to: This policy is applicable to all Health Service Providers.
Description: The Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment Policy (this policy) establishes the requirements for a respiratory protection program and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff in Western Australian (WA) healthcare facilities.
The purpose of this policy is to protect staff members from transmissible respiratory pathogens and does not cover exposure to other workplace contaminates such as smoke and chemicals. The use of PPE is only effective when used in conjunction with other infection prevention strategies described in this policy that assist in preventing the transmission of acute respiratory illness (ARI) between patients and staff.
This policy is consistent with the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and the following Standards Australia documents:
- AS/NZS 1715:2009 Selection use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
- AS/NZS 4381:2015 Single-use face masks for use in health care
- AS/NZS 1716:2012 Respiratory protective devices
- AS/NZS 1336:2014 Eye and face protection - Guidelines
- AS/NZS 1337.6:2012 Personal eye protection - Part 6: Prescription eye protectors against low and medium impact.
This policy is to be read in conjunction with MP 0134/20 National Safety and Quality Standards Accreditation Policy and supports recommendations within the following documents:
Inclusion of students in this policy is in accordance with MP 0026/16 Student Clinical Placement Agreement Policy which outlines the minimum requirements for Health Service Providers to facilitate clinical placements.
This policy is a mandatory requirement for Health Service Providers under the Public Health Policy Framework pursuant to section 26(2)(c) of the Health Services Act 2016.
Date of effect: 05 August 2022
Policy Framework
Public Health
Standards Australia AS/NZS 1715:2009: Selection use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment.
Respiratory Protection Guidelines for Western Australian Healthcare Facilities
Personal and Protective Equipment (PPE) poster
Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment PPE video
Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare