Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles or other gear designed to protect either the wearer's body or other items of clothing from electrical hazards, heat, chemicals and infection. PPE can also be used to protect the working environment from pollution or infection from the worker, for example in a microchip factory. The protection may also be important in both ways, as with the use of disposable gloves by surgeons and dentists.

Protective clothing is also worn for contact sports, such as ice hockey and American football. Baseball players wear sliding shorts and a cup under their pants. See baseball uniform, Goalie mask, jockstrap.

Personal protective equipment extends to body armor such as bullet-proof vests, historical armor and futuristic powered armor. In UK legislation the term PPE does not cover such items as armor.

Common protective materials include Nomex, Kevlar.

Examples of protective clothing/personal protective equipment

Hand protection

• gloves
  • Gloves to protect from chemicals, contamination and infection (e.g. disposable latex/vinyl/nitrile gloves)
  • Gloves to protect from extremes of temperature (e.g. oven gloves, welder's gloves)
  • Gloves to protect from mechanical hazards (e.g. rigger gloves, chainmail gloves)
  • Gloves to prevent lacerations and other wounds from sharp objects

Hearing protection

• ear defenders
• earplugs

Eye protection

• goggles
• visor
• sunglasses

Respiratory protection

• filter mask
• Particulate respirator (N95)
• gas mask
• PAPR Powered Air Purifying Respirator
• Self Contained Breathing Apparatus

Protective headgear

• helmet
  • bicycle helmet
  • motorcycle helmet
• hard hat
• mask - specifically ones made of hard material like those used by Goaltenders in ice hockey (a goalie mask) and catchers in baseball as protection against being struck in the face by flying objects.

Protective footwear

• clogs
• steel-toe boots

Other personal protective equipment (PPE)

• fall arrest equipment
• high-visibility clothing (to ensure visibility to prevent accidents)
• apron protects the body and other clothing from dirt (also used as distinction by waiters)
• diaper (nappy in British English)
• spacesuit
• Fire protection suit
• lifejacket
• chainsaw protection (especially a helmet with face guard, hearing protection, kevlar chaps, anti-vibration gloves, and safety boots). Specific information about chainsaw protection is given in the chainsaw safety clothing article.
• 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 bee keepers wear a brimmed hat and a veil made of hardware cloth similar to window screen material. The next level of protection is offered by leather gloves with long gauntlets and by some way of keeping bees from crawling up one's trouser legs. In extreme cases, shirts and trousers are also fabricated to serve as barriers to the bees' stingers.
• chaps are individual pant leggings made of leather and worn by farriers, cowboys, and rodeo contestants to protect the legs from contact with hooves, thorny undergrowth, and other such work hazards. May also be made of other materials for leg protection against other hazards, such as "rain chaps" of waterproof materials, or "saw chaps" of Kevlar for chainsaw workers.
• anti-rape female condom

Most forms of industrial clothing are protective clothing.

See also

• Motorcycle safety clothing
• Chainsaw safety clothing

Survival skills | Safety clothing | Headgear

Schutzkleidung | Ropa de protección