Guidance

Technical specifications for personal protective equipment (PPE)

The documents attached define the technical and regulatory standards for PPE.

• From: Cabinet Office and Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 30 March 2020
• Last updated: 30 July 2021 — See all updates

Documents

Essential technical requirements for new high-volume manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical devices (MD) during COVID-19

PDF, 506KB, 34 pages

Essential technical requirements for PPE and medical devices: further information for manufacturers and suppliers

HTML

Essential technical requirements for PPE and medical devices: further information for health and social care providers

HTML

Transparent face mask technical specification

HTML

Specification for hand wash

PDF, 93.6KB, 2 pages

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Specification for hand wash

MS Word Document, 19KB

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Specification for chlorine tablets and granules

PDF, 396KB, 2 pages

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Specification for chlorine tablets and granules

MS Word Document, 16.3KB

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Specification for fit testing solutions

PDF, 247KB, 1 page

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Specification for fit testing solutions

MS Word Document, 17KB

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Adult body bag specification

PDF, 666KB, 1 page

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Adult body bag specification

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 170KB

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Orange clinical waste bags specification

PDF, 661KB, 1 page

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Orange clinical waste bags specification

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 186KB

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Details

These documents are for new suppliers and manufacturers when they are using the tendering process for the supply or manufacture of PPE.

The guidance is intended to ensure that these parties understand our regulatory requirements and that all products must comply with the stated standards, legislation and/or directives.

It includes advice for health and social care providers on the essential technical requirements and how these impact any existing PPE stocks, direct supply, donation or purchasing which they may now also be conducting or receiving outside of the national procurement model for PPE.

Published 30 March 2020
Last updated 30 July 2021 + show all updates

1. 30 July 2021

   Updated section 5.10 of the Transparent face mask technical specification.

2. 1 April 2021

   Added new attachment: 'Transparent face mask technical specification'.

3. 28 August 2020

   Added the following 3 attachments:'Essential technical requirements for new high-volume manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical devices (MD) during COVID-19', 'Essential technical requirements for PPE and medical devices: further information for manufacturers and suppliers' and 'Essential technical requirements for PPE and medical devices: further information for health and social care providers'. These replaced 2 existing guidance documents, 2 technical specification documents and 4 apron documents.

4. 11 May 2020

   Accessible documents uploaded.

5. 5 May 2020

   Version 3 of Essential Technical Specifications replacing version 2.

6. 5 May 2020

   We have attached new documentation and amended the details section to reflect.

7. 6 April 2020

   Additional attachments added

8. 3 April 2020

   Removed attachments

9. 3 April 2020

   Additional upload of documentation.

10. 30 March 2020

    First published.