METIS is part of the science payload of Solar Orbiter. It is a coronagraph designed to obtain images of the outer solar corona both in the visible 580-640 nm band and in the UV, in a narrow band centered around the hydrogen Lyman-α line. We describe the main features of the procedures to remove signatures due to cosmic rays (CRs) and to solar energetic particles (SEPs) comparing them with alternatives in other contexts and in other solar coronagraphic missions. Our analysis starts from a realistic assessment of the radiation environment where the instrument is expected to operate, which is characteristic of the interplanetary space of the inner solar system, but quite unusual for most solar missions.