SRP Environmental has developed an Ebola/Contagious Diseases Training Program to meet the challenges faced by personnel working with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)-infected or potentially-infected patients. Our program combines elements from guidelines provided by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as Best Practices from acclaimed medical programs from University of Nebraska Medical Center and Emory Healthcare. The training program consists of lectures from our highly experienced instructors using slides and audio-visual presentations and hands-on participation by all students. The lectures discuss background about EVD, symptoms, medical treatment options, staffing, incident command, hazard assessments, selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and decontamination. The majority of the course is spent in the hands-on demonstrations and student activities.

Selection and use of Personal Protective Equipment is covered during the hands-on training. Each student receives 1-on-1 guidance from our instructors during the donning and doffing activities. Our course utilizes each facility’s own PPE so that the students are familiar with the equipment they will actually use. By the end of the course, each student will be proficient in the use of protective clothing, gloves and the respiratory protection used at their facility, whether it is an N95 or Powered Air Purifying Respiratory (PAPR). The course incorporates the requirements of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134) and Personal Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.132).

The training material covered in the Ebola PPE Course is also applicable to healthcare worker exposures to other contagious diseases. We cover how the work practices in control and prevention of exposure to these contagious diseases is very similar to exposure to patients with exposures to hazardous materials. At the end of the course, all of our students are properly prepared to deal with potential exposure to patients with possible EVD.