Why We Glove Up
Safety First Kiddos!
"Cause Germs Are Nasty... Umkay?"
This is written for those who work in corrections, specifically the county jail setting. but guess what, this applies pretty good across the board. so if you don't work as a correctional officer go ahead and keep reading.. there's good things to know here.
Optimally, you should be gloved up every time you come in contact with an inmate. We all know that this isn’t always possible, but let’s go over some of the VERY good reasons why it’s a good goal that should be aimed for as much as possible.
1) Germs are nasty, creepy cruddy things are nasty, viruses are even nastier. There are some germs in this world that are hard to kill, and some that might kill you. There are some creepy cruddy things that don’t respond with mere soap and water. Let’s try and avoid them by gloving up.
Blood borne pathogens include but are not limited to;
AIDS (HIV), Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV)
Creepy cruddy things include but are not limited to; scabies,
head lice, ringworm, jock itch, athletes foot, warts, shingles,
nail fungus, cold sores,………. Scared yet?
Don’t forget your common cold, rhino virus, strep throat,
the flu in all its glorious forms, and all manner of things
that make you go hurl or whirl in the bathroom.
And don’t forget that that all time favorite, staph infection.
Its out there, its everywhere, but there are some strains that
nobody wants to shake hands with,… glove up.
2) The folks we come in contact with are not the cleanest, most hygienic folk on earth. If sticky, drippy, ewy, uhg, and gross are problematic for you, then gloves are you BEST FRIEND.
3) The folks that we come into contact with will not always tell you about the knife or needle in their pocket…. A glove isn’t Kevlar, but it’s better than bare skin on such things.
4) In recent years new drugs, both Rx and recreational have come along that make bare hands even more dangerous. For example, the drug Suboxone, used to treat pain or narcotic addiction, is often found in the pockets/bags of clinic patients, and those abusing the drug recreationally. Just touching this drug and absorbing into your bare skin can cause you to become severely ill.
Now that we’ve scared ourselves half out of our wits,…..
Know When to Glove Up
WHAT SITUATIONS SHOULD WE GLOVE UP FOR?
We’ve covered the reasons WHY we should glove up in the jail,.. let's list the situations that require/need gloves.
a) Pat searches of inmates. The booking process has all the hazards that can be found in clothing, pockets etc are the reason we glove up for pat searches. Inmates can come in covered in their own or someone else blood or other body fluids,… the ewe factor is high,.. Gloves are your friend. Exposure to drugs or other chemicals while conducting a pat search is a life threatening possibility,.. gloves are your best defense.
b) Property inspection. You’ll be coming into contact with clothing, personal possessions. These items could harm you, through chemical contact or injury such as needles or knives. Gloves aren’t Kevlar, but they’re the best thing we’ve got at our disposal. This is also true for any time you open an inmate’s property bag.
c) Strip searches. Once again, hands on contact with inmates means the chance of coming into contact with things that are dangerous or just plain gross at times.
d) Cell searches. Contact with the inmates in-pod property should always include gloves whenever possible. Contraband can be hazardous, and jail life can be ewey, glove up.
e) Finger printing. There is the small, like buy lottery tickets small chance that you could get your finger print intermingled with the inmates finger prints during the printing process… really,.. they teach this. But seriously, you’re holding hands with someone who you have probably never met,.. do you know where their hands have been? I know where my hands have been so for my new “friends” sake I’ll wear the gloves, .....mkay?
We All Go Home... but Leave the Germs at Work.
I hope you've enjoyed readying this. I hope you laughed... aw shucks, I hope you laughed, you cried and it became a part of you!
Most of all I hope that you GLOVE UP! so that icky, ewey, creepy, nasty things don't become a part of you!
Stay safe my friends!
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