General Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is intended for workers or individuals who enter into spaces to clean and disinfect, where an infected or potentially infected individual is or has been located with COVID-19.
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Situations where there is a potentially infectious or confirmed infectious person present, the minimum PPE guidance is:
- An N-95 respirator or higher level of respiratory protection such as a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR)
- Eye protection or face shield
- A disposable gown or covering, if disposable gowns are not available, a protocol for laundry must be in place
- Gloves should be worn
- Shoe covers or dedicated shoes that can be decontaminated may be needed based on the site risk assessment.
In areas where an infectious individual has been, but is no longer present, minimum PPE recommendations are:
- A surgical mask or similar. The use of a surgical mask is to prevent accidental contact between the wearer’s hands, nose, and mouth and should not be considered respiratory protection.
- If the risk assessment indicated a high likelihood of generating aerosols during the cleaning process, the surgical mask should be replaced with a minimum of a N-95 respirator or higher level of respiratory protection such as a PAPR.
- Eye protection or face shield
- Disposable gown or covering. If disposable gowns are not available, a protocol for laundry must be in place
- Gloves should be worn
- Shoe covers or dedicated shoes that can be decontaminated may be needed based on the site risk assessment.
These PPE recommendations are those which are to protect the wearer from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Additional PPE, such as a chemical respirator, may be required for the use of the disinfecting chemicals, the most stringent combined set of PPE for the virus and chemical should then be worn.
