Advice to those working in care homes on how to work safely during this period of sustained transmission of COVID-19.

The guidance includes:

• PPE recommendations for care home staff
• frequently asked questions on the use of PPE in care homes
• examples which help to identify the correct use of PPE when undertaking activities that require physical contact or activities which do not require physical contact but are carried out in close proximity to residents
• guide to putting on PPE for care homes
• guide to taking off PPE for care homes

These instruction sheets should be used alongside the video guide to putting on and taking off PPE – a guide for care homes

Please note that this guidance is of a general nature and that an employer should consider the specific conditions of each individual place of work and comply with all applicable legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

On 5 June 2020, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that all hospital staff would need to continuously wear a surgical facemask whilst at work, and visitors would need to wear face coverings. The announcement also indicated that the same approach was being considered for social care. Changes to this guidance to reflect this announcement are being considered and will be incorporated in the next update. This interim resource has been published to provide important updates as set out on page 2 of the ‘Personal protective equipment (PPE) – resource for care workers working in care homes during sustained COVID-19 transmission in England’ document.