Health products policy and standards
Our team provides authoritative guidance and standards on quality, safety and efficacy of health products and supports countries to formulate evidence-based policies and ensure good practice throughout the value chain.
About us

What is PPE?

Personal protective equipment or PPE is equipment used to  prevent or minimize exposure to hazards such as:

  • Biological hazards
  • Chemical hazards
  • Radiological hazards
  • Electrical hazards
  • Mechanical hazards
  • Etc.

Without PPE, exposure could lead to injuries and illnesses. A range of industries use PPE to protect their workforce from occupational hazard. The construction, mining, chemical and pharmaceutical industries are among those using PPE on regular basis. Healthcare workers also use PPE to ensure safety during working hours.

ppe-full
WHO / Lindsay Mackenzie
WHO’s response to Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2018. A member of the WHO Ebola ring vaccination team vaccinates a man in Bosolo village.
© Credits

PPE and the Healthcare workforce

PPE protects healthcare workers from two main hazards:

Biological agents transfer from person to person by direct or indirect contact. Health workers maintain close contact with patients. Thus, they need PPE that protects them from potential transmission. Important transmission pathways to mitigate with PPE include:

  • Person to person contact
  • Droplet spread
  • Airborne transmission
  • Contaminated objects (fomites)

The use of Infection prevention and control (IPC) principles keep patients and health workers safe. IPC includes measures like: hand hygiene, PPE use and waste management materials. In addition, the WHO ensures the safety of the health workforce by providing guidance on the safe use of PPE. Depending on the biological agent and context different recommendations apply. For example, some PPE recommended for Ebola virus disease (EVD) might not be adequate for COVID-19.

Over the years, the WHO has provided technical information on the PPE for health care workers. In some countries, PPE is considered a medical device by regulation authorities. The latest publications by WHO describe PPE in the context of:

According to this publications the main characteristics of PPE include:

CategoryCharacteristic
Design feature
1. Protect mucous membranes 
2. Minimize the number of PPE element  junctions
3. Provide unobstructed range of vision
4. Enable communication capability
5. Use human factors design for size and comfort 
Material performance
6. Able to protect for the duration of work period
7. Able to withstand repeated disinfection
8. Manufacture packaging to withstand tropical climate exposure
Use desirability
9. Standardize donning and doffing protocol with minimum steps
10. Dispose PPE in non-toxic and environment-friendly manner

Useful information to protect the health workforce and supply them with essential PPE is listed below (Publications and Documents). 

NOTE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO and partners are providing a channel to request essential supplies. Countries can use the supply chain portal to request access to supplies like:

  • PPE
  • Biomedical Equipment
  • Diagnostics

PPE and the Public

During the COVID-19 pandemic, PPE became a key player in reducing transmission among the general public. The WHO has developed regular advice for the public, including: When and how to use masks?