PPE Checklist for Pandemic Times

Oct 28 2022

PPE-Checklist-Pandemic-Times

With winter around the corner, and concerns of rising Covid-19 cases, here’s a refresher on the most important Covid-19 safety protocols you should keep in mind. We’ve divided them between personal at home measures and measures to take in public.

This easy to reference checklist should keep you prepared and safe for this winter season.

Personal PPE

Your first line of defence against Covid-19 concerns what you can control the most. That’s you. Aside from the vaccination question, conventional wisdom points to good hand hygiene and masks as effective defence mechanisms against the spread of Covid-19.

In addition to wearing PPE, getting tested for Covid-19 to help prevent the spread of the virus. Covid-19 testing can provide valuable information about your health status and whether you need additional precautions. Various types of tests are available, including PCR, antigen, and antibody tests. It’s essential to know everything you need about COVID-19 testing, including Covid-19 Testing: Everything You Need to Know, what to expect during the testing process, and how to interpret your test results.

Here is a quick list of things for you to keep in mind when it comes to both hand hygiene and masks:

Hand washing

Did you know washing your hands helps reduce the transmission of respiratory illnesses like colds and COVID-19? The CDC reports that hand washing could reduce respiratory illness by 15-20%.

Best practices

Astonishingly, only about 5% of people actually wash their hands correctly, 33% of people don’t use soap when washing hands, and most people only wash their hands for around 6 seconds. Washing your hands isn’t complicated and it doesn’t take much time; however, when you wash, follow some simple steps to ensure you’re removing bacteria.

Wash your hands regularly with soap or use an alcohol-based sanitizer
Wash for 20 to 30 seconds covering all areas of the hand
No need for antibacterial soap

What You Need

Quick list of the best soaps you can use;

Hand Sanitizing

Outside the home, hand sanitizing is one more measure the individual can take to protect against bacteria on surfaces. Hand sanitizer kills bacteria on surfaces, including the hands, ensuring that those bacteria are removed before they can enter the body.

Best practices

Keep hand sanitizer with you wherever you go.
Use sanitiser before and after touching common surfaces in public areas, including
- Desks and chairs
- Tables
- Handrails
- Handshakes
- Door handles
- Public washrooms (after thoroughly washing hands according to the best practices mentioned above)

What you need

Sanitizer criteria
- Alcohol-based
- At least 60% alcohol
Recommended hand sanitizers for the fight against Covid-19

At Home and Outside

Public settings require different measures. For example, workplace safety might mean investing in proper sanitation procedures. Still, there are PPEs that individuals can use to minimize their exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus outside the home. Here are a few of them;

Wipes

When you’re out shopping or at work, disinfectant wipes are a means of protection. Wipes clean surfaces and limits your exposure to bacteria that might be present.

Best practices

Since contact with surfaces can be one means of bacterial transfer, cleaning surfaces can reduce transfer.

Keep some sanitizing wipes on hand.
Wipe down chairs, tables and other areas where you’ll be sitting or touching for a prolonged period.

What You’ll Need

Disinfectant wipes

Hand washing

It bears repeating that out in public, hand washing is a valuable prevention measure for COVID-19.

Best practices

Regularly wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds
Be sure to cover all areas of your hands with your scrubbing

N95 Masks

Masks, especially N95 masks, can be another preventative measure against COVID-19. Masks filter viral particles out of the air we breathe, lowering the odds that these particles enter our lungs.