Sequence for donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE)

Donning PPE (Putting on)

Doffing PPE (Taking off)

  1. Perform hand hygiene
  2. Put on shoe covers (if applicable)
  3. Put on gown
  4. Put on mask/respirator (if applicable)
  5. Put on eye protection (if applicable)
  6. Put on gloves
  1. Remove shoe covers (if applicable)
  2. Remove gown and gloves together*
  3. Perform hand hygiene
  4. Remove eye protection (if applicable)
  5. Remove mask/respirator (if applicable)
  6. Perform hand hygiene

 

* If gloves are removed first, hands must only touch uncontaminated surfaces of the gown, typically behind the neck (ties) and at the back of the shoulders. The gown is then peeled down off the body and arms, balling or rolling in the contaminated surfaces (front and sleeves). This is difficult to do, however, without contaminating the hands. The preferred method for doffing a disposable gown and gloves is, therefore, to break the ties at the neck by pulling on the upper front portion of the gown with the hands still gloved, balling or rolling in the contaminated surfaces, and pulling the gloves off inside-out as the hands are withdrawn from the gown’s sleeves. The gown and gloves can then be placed in a disposal receptacle together.

PPE, personal protective equipment.

These guidelines are supported by a generous educational grant from Virox Animal Health™.