Tabs aid doffing of filtering facepiece respirators
In healthcare, workers wear filtering facepiece respirators as protection against inhaling infectious particles such as viruses and bacteria, but safe use does not end with putting on, or donning, the respirator. Equally important is the proper removal, or doffing, technique, which protects workers from exposure to infectious materials that may have settled on the respirator itself. Once on the hands, the viruses or bacteria pose a risk of infecting the worker if they are re-released in the air and inhaled or if the worker touches any of his or her mucous membranes.
Recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proper doffing technique involves pulling the respirator straps at the back of the head. The problem, according to some reports, is that healthcare workers may not know or remember to follow these recommendations due to difficulty with locating and pulling these straps.