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Personal Protective Equipment
Quick Index
Policies and standards related to PPE Conservation, Decontamination of N95 Facemasks and Prevention and Management of Skin Damage related to PPE use that Infection Prevention and Control professionals may use to support their own documentation and best practices during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Prior to any patient interaction, all healthcare workers (HCWs) have a responsibility to assess the infectious risk posed to themselves and to other patients, visitors, and HCWs. This risk assessment is based on professional judgment about the clinical situation and up-to-date information on how the specific healthcare organization has designed and implemented engineering and administrative controls, along with the availability and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
In response to the emergence of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 (Omicron variant) recommendations for infection prevention and control measures for direct care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in healthcare settings include:
- Well fitted respirator
- eye protection (e.g., goggles or face shield)
- gowns
- gloves
Recommended PPE for all patient encounters should be based on a point of care risk assessment (PCRA), which should consider:
- community epidemiology of COVID-19
- ventilation assessed by the organization as adequate
- crowding and occupancy of spaces
- patient not yet clinically evaluated (e.g., Emergency Areas)
- likelihood of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens based on:
- specific interaction
- specific task
- specific patient
- specific environment, and
- available conditions
Additional recommendations include:
- Continue to adhere to, reinforce, evaluate and monitor the full range of existing COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures and guidance
- Continue to implement and re-evaluate the hierarchy of controls within the healthcare environment including:
- engineering and administrative controls
- all HCWs should be vaccinated with booster vaccines
- processes and written procedures to manage HCW exposures to COVID-19 and illness
- environmental cleaning and disinfection
- active screening and notification
- physical distancing
As information becomes available, these recommendations will be re-evaluated and updated as needed. HCWs should refer to provincial and territorial guidance and facility policies on specific recommendations for use of medical masks, eye protection and other PPE, as well as PPE conservation strategies.
For further PPE guidance refer to:
- Infection prevention and control for COVID-19: Interim guidance for acute healthcare settings (PHAC)
- Update with consideration of Omicron – Interim COVID-19 infection prevention and control in the health care setting when COVID-19 is suspected or confirmed– December 23, 2021 (PHAC)
Medical Masks and Respirators (PHAC)
- COVID-19 medical masks and respirators: Overview
- COVID-19 medical masks and respirators: Information for health professionals
- Safety and performance specifications for respirators during COVID-19: Guidance for Canadian manufacturers
- Interim IPAC Recommendations for Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Care of Individuals with Suspect or Confirmed COVID-19 (PHO)
- PIDAC COVID-19: Aerosol Generation from Coughs and Sneezes
- PIDAC Best Practices for Prevention, Surveillance and Infection Control Management of Novel Respiratory Infections in All Health Care Settings
- COVID-19 medical masks and respirators: Reprocessing N95 respirators
- COVID-19 medical masks and respirators: How to get authorization
Non-Medical Masks (PHAC)
COVID-19 mask use: Advice for community settings
- Non-medical Masks and Face Coverings
- Non-medical Masks -How to put on, remove and clean
- Non-medical Masks -Sew and no-sew instructions
- COVID-19 mask use: Advice for community settings
- Use of Non-Medical Masks in Community Settings
- How to safely use a non-medical mask or face covering (poster)
- How to wear a non-medical mask or face covering properly (video)
PPE Conservation
- 3D Printing and Other Manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment in Response to COVID-19 (Government of Canada)
- Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE (CDC)
- Release of Stockpiled N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators Beyond the Manufacturer-Designated Shelf Life: Considerations for the COVID-19 Response (CDC)
- WHO Rational use of personal protective equipment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Ontario Health)
- Updated IPAC Recommendations for Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Care of Individuals with Suspect or Confirmed COVID-19 (PHO)
- Reprocessing of N95 Respirators for Healthcare Professionals - Notice (Health Canada)
- Safety of Extended Use and Reuse of N95 Respirators (ECRI Institute)
Decontamination of N95 Respirators
- Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators using Contingency and Crisis Capacity Strategies (CDC)
- N95 Filtering Facemask Respirator Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) Process for Decontamination and Reuse (Nebraska Medicine)
- Important Regulatory Considerations for the Reprocessing of Single Use N95 Respirators during the COVID-19 Response (Health Canada)
- Completed IO applications for the re-processing of N95 respirators -Health Canada
- Reprocessing of N95 Respirators for Healthcare Professionals (Health Canada)
- Fischer, R. BMJ. 2020. Assessment of N95 respirator decontamination and re-use for SARS-CoV-2. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.11.20062018
- Effectiveness of Three Decontamination Treatments against Influenza Virus Applied to Filtering Facepiece Respirators. (2011. Ann Occup Hyg Lore et al.)
- Effects of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) on N95 Respirator Filtration Performance and Structural Integrity (2015. J. Occup. Env. Hyg. Lidley et al.)
- Evaluation of Five Decontamination Methods for Filtering Facepiece Respirators. (2009 Ann Occup Hyg. Viscusi et al.)
- Inactivation of Viruses on Surfaces by Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation. (2007 J. Occup. Env. Hyg. Chun-Chieh,T & Chih-Shan, L)
Some of the following resources have been provided by our industry partners. IPAC Canada is not responsible for the content of any site reached by the User via a link provided on this Web site, nor does IPAC Canada endorse, warrant or guarantee products, services or information offered at these external Internet sites.
- N95 Decontamination Publications (N95Decon)
- STERIS Decontamination Solutions for compatible N95 or N95-equivalent Respirators
- Fact Sheet for Healthcare Personnel on Emergency Use of STERRAD® Sterilization Systems to Reprocess N95 Respirators (ASP)
- Disinfection of Filtering Facepiece Respirators (3M)
- Temporary Protocol for the Disinfection of N95 Masks During the Coronavirus Crisis / Protocole temporaire pour la désinfection des masques N95 lors de la crise des coronavirus (Nocospray)