Illinois bans latex glove use in healthcare and food services

Champagne, IL – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 209 into law last Tuesday, restricting the use of latex gloves in food preparation and medical services to prevent adverse allergic reactions.

HB209 specifies that all emergency medical service providers must use other gloves, as well as any healthcare worker providing care to a patient who is unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate a medical history. The governor says signing this bill prevents avoidable allergic reactions and hospitalizations, and helps create a more accessible Illinois.

The legislation includes provisions for food service unable to source non-latex gloves. If other gloves can’t be obtained, latex gloves can be used providing prominent signage warns customers of the change. The same exception applies for medical workers, with specific instructions to prioritize available non-latex gloves for use on patients with latex allergies or patients unable to provide medical history.