Personal protective equipment can be categorized by the area of the body protected, by the type of hazard, and by the type of garment or accessory. A single itemfor example, bootsmay provide multiple forms of protection: a steel toe cap and steel insoles for protection of the feet from crushing or puncture injuries, impervious rubber and lining for protection from water and chemicals, high
reflectivity and heat resistance for protection from radiant heat, and high electrical
resistivity for protection from electric shock. The protective attributes of each piece of equipment must be compared with the hazards expected to be found in the workplace. More breathable types of personal protective equipment may not lead to more contamination but do result in greater user satisfaction.
Respirators Respirators are protective breathing equipment, which protect the user from inhaling contaminants in the air, thus preserving the health of their respiratory tract. There are two main types of respirators. One type of respirator functions by filtering out chemicals and gases, or airborne particles, from the air breathed by the user. The filtration may be either passive or
active (powered).
Gas masks and
particulate respirators (like
N95 masks) are examples of this type of respirator. A second type of respirator protects users by providing clean, respirable air from another source. This type includes airline respirators and
self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The
Health and Safety Executive (HSE),
NHS Health Scotland and Healthy Working Lives (HWL) have jointly developed the RPE (Respiratory Protective Equipment) Selector Tool, which is web-based. This interactive tool provides descriptions of different types of respirators and breathing apparatuses, as well as "dos and don'ts" for each type. In the United States, The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides recommendations on respirator use, in accordance to NIOSH federal respiratory regulations 42 CFR Part 84.
Surgical masks Surgical masks are sometimes considered as PPE, but are not considered as respirators, being unable to stop submicron particles from passing through, and also having unrestricted air flow at the edges of the masks. Surgical masks are not certified for the prevention of
tuberculosis.
Skin protection ,
lab coat, and
gloves while weighing
carbon nanotubes and the
lab coat exposes the wrist to hazardous materials. Occupational skin diseases such as
contact dermatitis,
skin cancers, and other skin injuries and infections are the second-most common type of occupational disease and can be very costly. Skin hazards, which lead to occupational skin disease, can be classified into four groups.
Chemical agents can come into contact with the skin through direct contact with contaminated surfaces, deposition of aerosols, immersion or splashes.
Eye protection Each day, about 2,000 US workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical attention. Eye injuries can happen through a variety of means. Most eye injuries occur when solid particles such as metal slivers, wood chips, sand or cement chips get into the eye. While the required eye protection varies by occupation, the safety provided can be generalized. Safety glasses provide protection from external debris, and should provide side protection via a wrap-around design or side shields. Occupational hearing loss accounted for 14% of all occupational illnesses in 2007, with about 23,000 cases significant enough to cause permanent hearing impairment. The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends that worker exposures to noise be reduced to a level equivalent to 85 dBA for eight hours to reduce occupational
noise-induced hearing loss. PPE for hearing protection consists of
earplugs and
earmuffs. Workers who are regularly exposed to noise levels above the NIOSH recommendation should be provided with hearing protection by the employers, as they are a low-cost intervention. A personal attenuation rating can be objectively measured through a
hearing protection fit-testing system. The effectiveness of hearing protection varies with the training offered on their use. In January 2025 NIOSH published a Science Policy Update recommending employers use individual, quantitative fit testing to evaluate the attenuation received by workers from their hearing protection devices.
Protective clothing and ensembles This form of PPE is all-encompassing and refers to the various suits and uniforms worn to protect the user from harm. Lab coats worn by scientists and
ballistic vests worn by law enforcement officials, which are worn on a regular basis, would fall into this category. Entire sets of PPE, worn together in a combined suit, are also in this category.
Ensembles worn by medical personnel during the
COVID-19 pandemic Below are some examples of ensembles of personal protective equipment, worn together for a specific occupation or task, to provide maximum protection for the user: •
PPE gowns are used by medical personnel like
doctors and
nurses. •
Chainsaw protection (especially a helmet with face guard, hearing protection,
kevlar chaps, anti-vibration gloves, and
chainsaw safety boots). •
Bee-keepers wear various levels of protection depending on the temperament of their bees and the reaction of the bees to nectar availability. At minimum, most beekeepers wear a brimmed hat and a veil made of fine mesh netting. The next level of protection involves
leather gloves with long gauntlets and some way of keeping
bees from crawling up one's trouser legs. In extreme cases, specially fabricated shirts and trousers can serve as barriers to the bees' stingers. •
Diving equipment, for underwater diving, constitutes equipment such as a
diving helmet or
diving mask, an
underwater breathing apparatus, and a
diving suit. •
Firefighters wear PPE designed to provide protection against fires and various fumes and gases. PPE worn by firefighters include
bunker gear,
self-contained breathing apparatus, a
helmet,
safety boots, and a
PASS device.
In sports Participants in sports often wear protective equipment. Studies performed on the injuries of professional athletes, such as that on
NFL players, question the effectiveness of existing personal protective equipment. ==Limits of the definition==