In EMS, what is the important safety phrase to remember?

• A. Always wear gloves
• B. If it's wet, warm and not yours do not touch
• C. Wash hands after patient contact
• D. Report to supervisor immediately

Answer: (B)

In EMS, a quick safety rule like this serves as a practical guardrail for exposure risk. The idea is to pause before touching anything that might be hazardous and to treat unknown materials as potentially infectious. If something is wet, warm, and not your own, it could be bodily fluids or other hazardous material, so the safest response is to avoid direct contact and rely on proper barriers and procedures (gloves, eye protection, gown as needed, and decontamination afterward). This mnemonic helps crews act consistently in the moment, reducing the chance of exposure when quick judgments are necessary.

While wearing gloves, washing hands, or reporting to a supervisor are all important safety steps, they don’t provide that immediate, in-the-moment cue to not touch something potentially dangerous. The phrase combines caution with a simple trigger to guide behavior right at the point of contact.