What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid created to treat severe pain, such as for advanced-stage cancer and treatment post-surgery. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that it is 50x stronger than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine.
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been involved in many fatal overdoses with a reported >56,000 deaths in 2020. This is twice the number of overdose deaths than any other drug class.
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Did You Know?
September 2022 is Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month in California.
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Who needs protection?
The use of fentanyl has increased significantly due to illicitly manufactured fentanyl and its effect similar to heroin. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl can exist in powder and liquid forms, and only 2 milligrams is enough to cause negative health effects including overdose.
Thus, workers such as first responders, law enforcement, medical and other professions at risk through occupational exposure need to ensure that they properly protect themselves.
Hand protection against fentanyl
Inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact are three primary routes of exposure to fentanyl. If you anticipate possible skin exposure, it is important to select the proper PPE and disposable glove to protect against toxic exposure.
Remember to replace gloves after possible exposure and immediately after any punctures. For very high exposure levels, double gloving is recommended for added protection.
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Hand protection checklist:
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Disposable gloves
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Medical exam grade
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Nitrile (synthetic rubber)
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Fentanyl resistant as tested according to ASTM D6978-05
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Minimum breakthrough time >240 minutes
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GripProtect® Gloves Recommended for Fentanyl Protection
Download our Protection Against Fentanyl flyer
