Guidance

Putting on (donning) personal protective equipment (PPE) including coveralls for aerosol generating procedures (AGPs)

Updated 17 December 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-use-for-aerosol-generating-procedures/putting-on-donning-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-including-coveralls-for-aerosol-generating-procedures-agps

Airborne precautions

Use safe work practices to protect yourself and limit the spread of infection:

  • keep hands away from face and PPE being worn
  • change gloves when torn or heavily contaminated
  • limit surfaces touched in the patient environment
  • regularly perform hand hygiene
  • always clean hands after removing gloves

Pre-donning instructions

  • ensure worker hydrated
  • tie hair back
  • remove jewellery
  • check PPE in the correct size is available

Putting on PPE

The order for putting on is:

  • coverall
  • respirator
  • eye protection
  • gloves

This is undertaken outside the patient’s room.

1. Don the coveralls

  • step into coveralls
  • pull up over waist
  • insert arms into sleeves – if thumb hoops available, hoop these over your thumbs (ensure sleeves cover end of gloves so no skin is visible)
  • pull up over the shoulders
  • fasten zip all the way to the top

Do not apply the hood of the coverall as there is no requirement for airborne transmission.

2. Respirator

Note: this must be the respirator that you have been fitted to use. Eye protection always be worn with a respirator. Where goggles or safety spectacles are to be born with the respirator, these must be worn during the fit test to ensure compatibility.

  • position the upper straps on the crown of your head, above the ears, and the lower strap at the nape of the neck

  • ensure that the respirator is flat against your cheeks

  • with both hands, mould the nose piece from the bridge of the nose, firmly pressing down both sides of the nose with your fingers until you have a good facial fit (if a good fit cannot be achieved, do not proceed)

  • perform a fit check – the technique for this will differ between different makes of respirator (instructions for the correct technique are provided by manufacturers and should be followed for fit checking)

3. Eye protection

Place over face and eyes and adjust headband to fit.

4. Gloves

  • select according to hand size
  • ensure cuff of coverall is covered by the cuff of the glove
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