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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Farm workers are at higher risk, however, and the CDC has recommended that farmworkers wear personal protective equipment including a face shield or goggles, a face mask and gloves to reduce the risk of infection. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024 Trump placed the procurement of this essential personal protective equipment in the hands of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who handled the task incompetently. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 To minimize the risk of infection, the CDPH recommends that personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, gloves, caps, face shields, and safety goggles, be used by farm workers and emergency responders handling infected animals or materials. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 3 Sep. 2024 Her county’s election facilities are stocked with personal protective equipment and Narcan, in the event of suspicious substances or powders (which might be fentanyl) arriving in the mail—something that has already happened at election offices in several states. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for personal protective equipment 

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of personal protective equipment was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near personal protective equipment

Cite this Entry

“Personal protective equipment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20protective%20equipment. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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