personal protective equipment

noun

variants or less commonly personal protection equipment

: protective devices, garments, or coverings (such as respirators, helmets, face shields, boots, or gloves) that are worn especially by workers to minimize exposure to hazards that may cause injury or illness

Additional funds of $1,000 from the federal grant are also available to help train firefighters up to the National Firefighter Protection Association standard. … Equipment to be purchased includes 74 complete sets of personal protective equipment which include boots, gloves, helmets, pants, coats, hoods and traffic safety vests.

—Will James et al.

Part of the grant will be used for training in the use of personal protective equipment, for use by officers in the event of a chemical- or oil-related incident.

—Rich Hewitt

While the global plastic waste problem has long been out of control, Covid-19 has intensified our use of single-use plastics, pushing the issue to new heights. The waste includes test kits and personal protection equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves, the vast majority of which comes from hospitals, rather than individual use.

—Victoria Burrows

—abbreviation PPE

Examples of personal protective equipment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

You might be swayed by Arnie’s touching faith in bipartisanship and the need to tackle the climate crisis or moved by his tales of heroic procurement of personal protective equipment during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. —Charles Arrowsmith, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023

At the end of the 2020 strike, workers and management settled an agreement for a new contract including raises of at least $1 per hour for all workers, $2.50 hourly pandemic pay, five sick days a year and personal protective equipment. —Ilana Arougheti, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023

Absent imports, there will be no transition to electric vehicles and no access to vast quantities of personal protective equipment for frontline emergency personnel when a pandemic strikes. —Alan Wolff, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2023

After the scene is determined to be safe and personal protective equipment is provided, authorities will begin retrieving the bodies. —Mitchell McCluskey, CNN, 6 Oct. 2023

The team also conducts audits on personal protective equipment and hand hygiene. —John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2023

Officials said personal protective equipment will be given out, including coveralls, booties, respirators and N95 masks. —Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2023

Recommendations include using cleaning products with less harsh chemicals, providing domestic workers with personal protective equipment and supplying fans to increase air circulation. —Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023

At the beginning of the pandemic, member states clashed over shortages of personal protective equipment, and the body eventually imposed several temporary export bans. —Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2021

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Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

personal protective equipment

noun

variants also personal protection equipment

: protective devices, garments, or coverings (such as respirators, face shields, or gloves) that are worn especially by workers to minimize exposure to hazards that may cause injury or illness

Personal protective equipment should be simple to remove after use without contaminating the user. … It should be disposable whenever possible and disposed of appropriately, immediately after removal.

—T. M. Cook, Anaesthesia

In the attempt to prevent the spread of a viral infection to and from healthcare workers, the health community generally relies on the efficacy of personal protective equipment (PPE): gloves, masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, and gowns.

—Ivo Boškoski et al., Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

—abbreviation PPE