Regulations & Safety
Disposable Glove Use in Child Care Facilities
Are child care workers required to wear gloves while changing diapers?
Federal Regulations
While we are unaware of any specific federal regulations pertaining to glove use while changing diapers, OSHA does require (per 29 CFR 1910.1030) gloves be worn whenever hands come in contact with any body fluid (including urine and/or feces) visibly contaminated with blood. These regulations parallel the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Universal Precautions.
State Regulations
State regulations regarding diaper changes in child care facilities vary. At least seven states currently require a child care provider to wear gloves while changing a diaper, including:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Illinois
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Wyoming
Many other states recommend glove use, or mandate that a facility have gloves available, but stop short of requiring the gloves be worn during diaper changes.
For information specific to your state, contact the appropriate state agency using the links below:
If urine or feces are visibly contaminated with blood, should medical gloves be worn?
Consistent with OSHA requirements and CDC guidelines, we recommend using examination gloves whenever hands may come in contact with bodily fluids which are visibly contaminated with blood. When worn, gloves should be discarded after each diaper change to prevent transmission of infectious material.
See Also
Last Updated: 05/25/2011