Staff at a major Melbourne hospital may have been exposed to chemotherapy toxins for years.

Sterile gloves which do not meet the current global standard for guaranteed protection against cytotoxic agents have been used in cancer care areas of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH).

The gloves, which are not rated for chemotherapy, were used for patients with latex allergies in a range of clinical applications, the Victorian Department of Health says.

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The hospital is now reviewing the matter, and testing the gloves it had been using to confirm whether workers were exposed.

The international standard for gloves used to handle chemotherapy chemicals was updated about a decade ago.

But the RCH was still using the historic standard of gloves when the issue was first escalated to hospital leadership in late August.

“After learning of this, we removed these gloves and replaced them with sterile gloves that meet the international standard for handling cytotoxic agents,” an RCH spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au.

“The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) has been open and transparent with staff about the potential risks of sterile gloves historically used for handling cytotoxic agents (such as chemotherapy).”

There are fears gloves used at a major hospital may not have provided adequate protection for staff. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

Cytotoxic drugs are used to target cancerous cells in patients receiving chemotherapy, but they are known to be highly toxic to non-target cells.

For staff who prepare and administer the drugs without proper personal protection equipment (PPE), exposure to the chemicals can lead to a range of health issues including fertility changes, fetal loss, liver damage, and genetic mutations, according to the WorkSafe Victoria website.

The hospital is now testing whether any staff might have been exposed to cytotoxic agents as a result of the gloves.

“We are now engaging an independent organisation to test and assess the protective performance of the previous sterile gloves and any potential exposure risk to staff,” the RCH spokesperson said. “We understand the concern and uncertainty this has caused, and we are committed to being open with affected staff about what we know and what we are doing to find answers.”

The hospital said that it would make more information known to staff as further details come to light, and continue to support its employees.

WorkSafe Victoria is also involved in the ongoing investigations.

The safety regulator has inspectors dedicated to ensuring duty holders in the health industry comply with their obligations by inspecting workplaces, providing advice and information, and taking enforcement action when neccessary.

“WorkSafe is making inquiries to ensure health and safety risks are being adequately addressed and determine whether further action is required,” a WorkSafe spokeswoman told 7NEWS.com.au.