Putting on a Mask
How to put on a mask or respirator
Before putting on a face mask ensure your hands are properly clean using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Place mask outward facing side in the palm of your hand with elastics hanging below your hand (figure 1).
Put the mask in place on your face covering both your mouth and nose. Pull the top strand of elastics up over your head to the mid point of the back of your head (figure 2).
Pull the lower strand of elastics up over your head to the base of your skull at the top of your neck (figure 3).
Using both hands smooth the wired edge snugly down over your nose (figure 4).
Adjust the mask to fit as tight as possible from under your chin, along the sides and covering both mouth and nose.
After this initial fitting consider the front of the mask contaminated and touch the mask as little as possible.
Wash your hands or perform hand hygiene.
If you have earloops, hold the mask by the earloops and put them behind your ears. Adjust the fit at the front, then wash your hands or perform hand hygiene.
If you are replacing a mask that you have already worn and set aside, try to handle it as little as possible, and hold it by the edges and the straps. Consider the front of the mask potentially contaminated from your previous wear. After you have it on, wash your hands or perform hand hygiene.
For KF95s, KN94s, and respirators (N95, FFP2, FFP3, Can99) perform a user seal test before doing hand hygeine.
Taking off a Mask
Before taking off your face mask ensure your hands are properly clean using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
To remove your mask, lean forward and pull the lower elastic up over the head avoiding contact with the front of the mask (figure 1).
Still leaning forward, lift the upper elastic up over your head pulling the mask away from your face (figure 2).
By using the inside surface of your mask, fold it in half so that the outside contaminated surface is contained within the fold (figure 3). This can then be placed in a paper bag until it can be washed (cloth masks), or to dry out, if you are planning extended use of a medical mask or respirator.
Ensure your hands are properly clean using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
To take off an earloop mask, start at the top of the loop and run your finger up, over and behind your ear. Starting at the top will prevent it getting hooked on the frame of glasses, sunglasses or eye protection.