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.
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
Rich HewittWhile 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
Victoria BurrowsExamples of personal protective equipment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since the outbreak, zoo officials said staff has taken safety precautions for themselves and the animals such as using additional personal protective equipment, removing opportunities for cross-contamination between species, and focused monitoring for changes in animal health or behavior.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
Workers also need to use personal protective equipment to prevent spread of the virus to healthy animals and to protect themselves from potential infection.
—Kimberly Dodd, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
Then, explore possibilities to isolate that hazard or change how it is performed, and only as a last resort, use personal protective equipment.
—Borislav "bobby" Marinov, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
What to do: People with exposure to farm animals, backyard bird flocks or wild animals should use personal protective equipment, said Lindquist.
—Christine Clarridge, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for personal protective equipment 
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William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
Workers also need to use personal protective equipment to prevent spread of the virus to healthy animals and to protect themselves from potential infection.
—Kimberly Dodd, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
Then, explore possibilities to isolate that hazard or change how it is performed, and only as a last resort, use personal protective equipment.
—Borislav "bobby" Marinov, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
What to do: People with exposure to farm animals, backyard bird flocks or wild animals should use personal protective equipment, said Lindquist.
—Christine Clarridge, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for personal protective equipment
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 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
T. M. Cook, AnaesthesiaIn 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
Ivo Boškoski et al., Gastrointestinal EndoscopyLove words? Need even more definitions?
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