Always wear gloves when handling blood soiled items, body fluids, excretions, and secretions, as well as surfaces, materials, and objects exposed to them.

Select the correct size gloves to provide proper protection against infectious agents.

Disposable non-sterile gloves are required when performing any general clinical procedure that may expose you to the person's blood or other body substances.

Sterile disposable gloves are to be worn for procedures that need sterile technique such as cleaning certain wound.

Gloves should be worn to protect skin lesions such as cuts and scratches in the skin on your hands when rendering care to a person.

If a glove is torn it should be removed and replaced with a new glove.

After coming in contact with any infected material, you should change gloves if care is not completed.

Once used, gloves must be discarded before leaving the person's room.

Wash your hands immediately after removing gloves.

Apron or gown should be worn to prevent soiling of clothing during procedures that may involve contact with body fluids, blood, secretions, or excretions.

Sterile apron/gown is only required for procedures that need a sterile field.

Apron/gown must be large enough to cover your clothing which is likely to be contaminated.

Apron or gown should be made of moisture-resistant material that provides an effective barrier to body substances.

Apron or gown should be changed after giving care to an individual person and after performing any procedure which involves contact with blood or body substances.

When removing a soiled apron/gown, minimise contamination of your hands and clothes.  The apron/gown should be held inside without touching the outside (the outer surface of the apron/gown is referred to as 'outside' and it is the part that is exposed to contamination).

Used apron or gown must be disposed off into proper receptacle.

A mask protects you from breathing in microorganisms from the person's respiratory tract and vice versa.

Disposable masks are to be worn whenever there is a reasonable expectation that droplet transmission may occur.

A properly applied mask fits snugly over your mouth and nose, and covers the chin area, so that infectious organisms and body fluids cannot enter or escape through the sides.

If you wear glasses, the top edge of the mask should fit below the glasses so that they will not cloud over as you exhales.

Talking should be kept to a minimum while wearing a mask to reduce respiratory air flow.

Before removing a mask, remove your gloves (if worn) or wash your hands if they have come in contact with infectious material.

A mask that has become moist is ineffective and should be discarded.

Dispose off mask after each use.  It should never be reused.

If you are using mask, apron, and gloves in your care procedure, know the correct sequence of donning and removing them to reduce self-contamination.

Donning PPE

Before the procedure, PPE should be donned in the following sequence:

1. Apron or gown

2. Mask

3. Gloves

1. Gloves (most contaminated)

2. Apron or gown

3. Mask