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

During the pandemic, Cuomo’s feud with de Blasio reached dangerous levels of dysfunction, as the two jostled for control of shutdown orders, vaccination sites, and distribution of personal protective equipment. —Eric Lach, New Yorker, 5 May 2025

This includes small actions, like always using personal protective equipment correctly, even in low-exposure situations, or leading meetings that begin with safety reflection moments. 3. —Andreza Araujo, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Efforts to spot and warn of counterfeit personal protective equipment was also halted due to the layoffs, officials said. —Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 2 May 2025

While device makers who would take a big hit from the tariffs are pushing for a new carve out, the makers of personal protective equipment — who stand to benefit from the barriers — are not. —Bertha Coombs, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for personal protective equipment

• shipment
• transhipment
• transshipment

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