Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as PPE, used to be known as equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses. When the infectious disease, COVID-19, became a global pandemic, PPE became more widely known as equipment designed to protect the wearer from injury or the spread of infection or illness. Such equipment includes: gloves, face shields, goggles, face masks, respirators, hand sanitizers and more.Â