The Expert Guide to Wearing Personal Protective Equipment

Protective coveralls protect against contamination from workplace hazards, ranging from liquid and solid chemicals, oils, non-toxic liquids, airborne substances, dust, and fibers. In cleanrooms, such as laboratories and crime scenes, protective clothing is required to stop human contamination (i.e., hairs, shedding skin, and clothing fibers) of the area. However, just wearing the garment is no guarantee of safety, and to ensure an adequate protection level, you must consider several factors.

Selection and use

How do you identify the right one with so many different coveralls in the market? First, refer to our simple guide safespec.dupont.asia, which helps you identify the appropriate protection.

Choosing the right size?

Choosing the correct size is a prerequisite for higher safety and greater comfort. If it’s too big, it can get stuck in the production machinery. If it’s too small, it can tear or restrict mobility. Therefore, you must choose a coverall that adequately protects and fits the person.

Donning/Doffing the coverall

Donning the coverall

While you may not think too hard about how you put on your clothing in the morning, correctly putting on a protective coverall is instrumental to the garment's performance.?

1. Choose a contamination-free changing room away from the workplace for workers to get dressed. Request a colleague to be present to check that the suit is donned correctly and that all gaps are sealed. Start by removing all jewelry and personal items (pens, key rings, badges, pagers, knife cases, etc.) that might damage the garment.?
2. Start by sitting on a chair, removing your footwear, and then carefully put your feet into the leg of the coverall before putting on and securely lacing your safety shoes or boots.
3. At this point, you should put on the correct gloves for the application. If you use two gloves, put the first set on now.
4. Standing up, pull the suit up to your waist and place your arms into the sleeves.?
5. Before zipping up the suit, put on any goggles, masks, etc., and ensure they are fitted correctly, are comfortable, and have no gaps.?
6. Pull the hood over your head and zip the coverall to the top, pushing the zip down to lock.?
7. If you are wearing a second set of gloves, put these on over the first pair of gloves, covering the wrist and sleeves of the coverall.
8. Ideally, it is recommended that you seal all the gaps and joints with adhesive tape, including the ends of the gloves and around the face where the hood meets the facemask.

Doffing the coverall

Unless great care is taken in the removal and disposal of single-use protective garments, there is a risk of cross-contamination from the surface of the garment to the wearer’s skin or hair or other employees and family.

1. Remove the protective suit in a contamination-free space.?
2. Before removing the protective clothing, it is advisable to clean the gloves and boots to prevent dust from being thrown up. Masks and zip covers should be wiped clean too.?
3. Any protective items removed, such as adhesive tape, should be immediately disposed of in a chemical waste container provided for this purpose.?
4. With the protective gloves still on, the wearer should begin rolling the hood back, not letting the outside of the coverall touch the head. Next, unzip the coverall and start rolling it outwards, down your shoulders.?
5. Place both hands behind your back and pull down each arm until completely removed.?
6. Sit down and remove each shoe, then roll the coveralls down (ensuring the contaminated side does not come into contact with your clothing) over your knees until completely removed.?
7. Finally, discard the suit in the bag and remove your gloves. When discarding the protective suit, it is crucial to hold it by the non-contaminated inner surface to prevent contact with the hazardous substance.?
8. Removing the suit results in workplace contamination, so you must clean this area. Leaving the danger zone while still contaminated poses a risk to the wearer of the protective suit and others not involved in the procedure.?

Training

Sometimes the best way to learn is to practice. DuPont provides training for customers and distributors to spread the message of how to put on personal protective clothing and remove it correctly to avoid cross-contamination. It is important to remember that only people who have received specific training should be authorized to wear, remove and dispose of contaminated clothing.

? 2022? DuPont. All rights reserved. DuPont?, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ?, ? or ? are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted.