Shoe covers are often necessary in conditions that must remain sanitary, such as operating rooms, emergency rooms and labs. In a health care environment, hospital shoe covers typically are worn by medical professionals such as nurses, doctors, surgeons and lab technicians.
Medical booties and shoe covers are important for 3 main reasons:
1. They help maintain a sanitary environment by eliminating tracked-in dirt and germs.
2. They protect the wearer from accidental spills and bodily fluids.
3. And shoe covers provide a non-skid surface on the often-slippery floors of hospitals and medical facilities.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Determine where medical shoe covers will be worn
The environment that the shoe covers will be worn in determines the type of shoe covers you need. Although most medical booties have the same features these days, there are some exceptions.
I recommend: Visit some hospital supply sites to see what's available in the way of hospital shoe covers. The majority are disposable and intended for one-time use. Options include
polyethylene covers that protect shoes and feet against fluids,
non-slip tread that provides traction while reducing slippage and
plastic shoe covers that are waterproof to protect feet from splashes.
Consider length of use of washable or disposable shoe covers
Some occupations might call for wearing disposable shoe covers in isolated instances or for short periods of time, while others might call for all-day usage.
I recommend: If you're buying shoe covers for a staff, department or entire hospital, your need clearly won't fall into either the "all-day" wearer or the "sporadic" wearer. You might want to consider
economy shoe covers for the occasional users who don't require durability, as well as a supply of
more durable shoe covers that take extended wear, comfort and breatheability into account.
Know your shoe cover wearers
Foot size and the type of shoe being covered need to be considered when purchasing medical shoe covers.
I recommend: Purchasing disposable shoe covers in both standard and large sizes will ensure that you have something to fit everyone. Some manufacturers make
sport sizes to cover larger, athletic-type shoes.
Boot covers also are an option when shopping for protective shoe covers.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Although washable shoe covers are an option, their popularity has been greatly diminished by the emergence of disposable shoe covers for a variety of reasons.
- Looking for even more convenience? Check out the automatic shoe cover dispensers that are on the market today.
- Shoe covers with an elastic opening around the ankle are the easiest to put on and take off. The elastic helps keep the shoe cover in place while it's being worn, as well.
The official source of Shoe Covers is the Shoe Covers page at Business.com
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