Which equipment is essential for ensuring safety when handling potentially infectious agents?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential for ensuring safety when handling potentially infectious agents because it provides a barrier between the handler and any biological contaminants. PPE, which includes items such as gloves, masks, gowns, and goggles, is designed to protect the skin, respiratory system, and mucous membranes from exposure to pathogens. This is critical in veterinary practice, where the risk of transmission of infectious diseases is high, both for the safety of the staff and the animals being treated.

While sterile surgical instruments are important for surgical procedures to prevent infections, they do not protect the staff from infection during the handling of infectious agents. Diagnostic machines and recovery cages serve specific functions in a veterinary setting but do not provide direct protection from potentially infectious agents. Therefore, PPE is the most crucial equipment in this context.