Sectors such as, for example, sanitary or food, among others, require hygienic barriers to prevent the transmission of microorganisms between people, into space or the product. Something also known as cross contamination or nosocomial infections.

These barriers are the so-called Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)  and serve, mainly, to ensure safety in professional processes and to ensure the health of professionals.

Next, we will see what types of Personal Protective Equipment exist, focusing only on those of a hygienic nature.

Gloves to stop the transmission of microorganisms
Sleeves to protect the arms
Caps for different sectors
Masks, a double protective barrier
Different body protections
Shoe covers to avoid contaminating surfaces

Gloves to stop the transmission of microorganisms
Like any other PPE, gloves act as a double barrier between the worker and the object or subject, with the addition that they protect a particularly important part of the body when avoiding cross-contamination problems: the hands.

Gloves exist of nitrile, latex, vinyl, polyethylene, with dust or without dust and all of them with different sizes and colors.

In this infographic we explain the differences between each of them and highlight which one is suitable for each specific use.

In the case of gloves, being one of the PPE that is most contaminated by being constantly exposed, it is recommended to replace them often and combine them with hand washing.

Sleeves to protect the arms

The sleeves act rather as a hygienic barrier and not so much as to preserve the health of the worker.

It is quite common to find these Personal Protective Equipment in the food industry. They are usually placed on gowns and uniforms, so they work as a plus of protection.

Its main mission is to avoid staining the uniform. So, if the sleeves “cushion” the spots, we can replace them without changing the uniform.

They are usually made from polyethylene plastic, so they also have waterproof power against liquid remains.

Caps for different sectors
The caps are used, mainly, to prevent the hairs of the head from falling on the surfaces on which one works.

As with the sleeves, the caps act more as a single barrier to ensure hygiene in the spaces and not so much as protection for the worker.

Depending on the type of sector in which they are used, they change shape or material, and this Personal Protective Equipment may be made of polyethylene, textile, non-woven fabric, etc.

A very important factor when choosing a hat is that it is breathable.

Masks, a double protective barrier
After the hands, the mouth is the second part of the body through which we can exchange more microorganisms, especially those that are transmitted by air.

That is why, in this case, the masks have a double function: to prevent the worker from “contaminating” the environment and to prevent himself from acquiring microorganisms present in said environment.

The masks may be made of different layers and be composed of different materials such as paper, polypropylene plastic, non-woven fabric, etc.

In addition, there are also the type of bar covers, which have the same function as caps and are used, especially in the food industry.

Different body protections
Within the body protection group we can find aprons, gowns, overalls, visitor kits, etc.

The function of these Personal Protective Equipment will vary greatly depending on the sector in which they are used, but if there is something that everyone has in common, they are always placed on top of the clothes.

For example, in the food industry, plastic aprons are quite common, which also act as an impermeable barrier, while in sanitation, non-woven gowns are used more.

The equipment for body protection can be made of plastic, textile, non-woven fabric, etc.

Shoe covers to avoid contaminating surfaces
The main function of the shoe covers is to keep the environments as clean as possible and avoid “entering” the risk areas with external elements that remain attached to the shoes.

They are Personal Protection Equipment quite common in the clean rooms of industries, in operating rooms or in the food industry.

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