06. Personal protection equipment (PPE) for highly infectious diseases

Overview 

• When working with certain epidemic diseases, especially Ebola, Marburg, Lassa fever and plague, it is vital to protect yourself when you touch patients, their body fluids, or dead bodies or animals. 
• This tool shows you how to use PPE. 
• See Action tool Volunteer protection and safety for more information on volunteer protection.

Steps for putting on protective clothing

Steps for taking off protective clothing

Note: Handwashing (gloved hands) should be performed before starting removing the protective clothing, between the steps and at the end for ungloved hands.

Note: Different PPE types are used in different contexts affecting the operating procedures. Always ensure that you have been properly trained to use the type of PPE available in your context.