What is the role of control measures to prevent secondary contamination during doffing?

• A. To prevent transferring contaminants to clean areas or personnel
• B. To speed up doffing
• C. Do not use any controls
• D. Only for show

Answer: (A)

Preventing secondary contamination during doffing is about keeping contaminants contained as you remove PPE so they don’t spread to clean areas or to other people. Control measures establish a safe, stepwise process: perform doffing in a designated area, follow a specific sequence to minimize contact with contaminated surfaces, remove outer PPE first and perform hand hygiene at the right times, dispose of or decontaminate gear properly, and have supervision or buddy checks to ensure each step is done correctly. By structuring doffing this way, you minimize the chance that contaminants on outer surfaces transfer to skin, clothing, or the environment, which protects both the cleaner areas and personnel.

Speeding up doffing or skipping controls would increase the risk of spreading contamination, and doing it merely for show offers no real protection.