
134) in place to ensure that all three of these items are addressed in occupational settings where respirator use is required. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulations (.
DONNING AN N95 RESPIRATOR SKIN
Three key factors are required for a respirator to be effective: (1) the respirator has to be put on correctly and worn during the exposure (2) the respirator must fit the user’s face snugly to minimize the number of particles that bypass the filter and get into the breathing zone through gaps between the user’s skin and the respirator seal and (3) the respirator filter needs to be highly effective at capturing particles that pass through the filter. To appreciate the differences between workplace respirator use and personal respirator use, it is important to understand how these devices work. In this blog, we have teamed with colleagues from across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist state and federal public health agencies, and other safety professionals, by translating the lessons we’ve learned from respirator use at work to respirator use by the general public. In the last decade, respirator use by the general public has become a more frequent topic of debate as public health officials at the local, state, and federal level consider which public health and non-pharmaceutical interventions to recommend. Along with our collaborators in government, industry, and academia, we have accumulated a wealth of knowledge on how respirators perform in workplace settings. NIOSH has been certifying respirators and conducting research on these devices for over 40 years. However, there are situations in which the same respiratory hazards that can be faced by workers are also a potential concern to the public.Įxamples of respiratory hazards of interest to the general public:Ī respirator is one method for reducing personal exposure to particulate respiratory hazards. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) mission is to promote safe and healthful working conditions by conducting research and providing recommendations to diminish hazardous situations within occupational settings.
