Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

When used properly and with other infection control practices such as frequent hand-washing, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and covering coughs and sneezes, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) minimizes the spread of infection from one person to another.

PPE includes the following, but can vary between health and aged care professionals, cleaners and people working in high risk professions:

• Gloves
• Surgical masks
• Respirator masks (N95 or FFP2 standard)
• Eye protection
• Gowns and overalls
• Aprons
• Boots or closed-toe work shoes
• And in the current COVID19 environment, thermometers.

This is a tricky question to answer right now, since official opinions vary.

Evidence suggests that wearing face masks in public doesn’t necessarily do that much to protect healthy people from getting the infection—particularly for viruses that spread by droplets, like COVID-19. However, studies show that mask use among those infected with viruses can help prevent spreading the illness, when paired with regular hand washing or sanitising.

How do I Don and Doff (remove) gloves & masks hygienically?

1. Wash or sanitise your hands
2. Don the mask then fit to cover nose and chin, pinching the nose to fit correctly to the nose and cheeks.
3. Ensure a comfortable fit, if you wear glasses this is very important to avoid your glasses fogging up.

1. Wash or sanitise your hands
2. Instead of touching the mask, hook the elastic or ties off avoiding touching the mask itself or your face. Dispose of in a biohazard or closed bin
3. Wash or sanitise your hands

Here’s a great video detailing the steps

1. Sanitise your hands
2. Then put on your gloves

1. Pinch the glove at the bottom of your palm, with your other gloved hand, and peel off your hand.
2. Slide your ungloved finger under the wrist of your other glove and peel off.
3. Perform hand hygiene.

Handy hint: imagine your gloves are covered in something unmentionable and you don’t want to touch them

Here’s another video with Sam, demonstrating the correct procedure.