Download or read book Respiratory Protection Programs and Healthcare Professionals written by Marta Figueroa and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At least 16 different airborne infections have been associated with occupational transmission in health care workers. Respiratory protection is playing an increasing role in the protection of these workers. This study used a cross-sectional survey design to evaluate compliance with OSHA requirements for respiratory protection programs including respirator fit testing and to assess the knowledge and perceptions regarding respirator use and respiratory protection programs in healthcare facilities. Three groups participated in the survey: members of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), safety/employee health administrators, and healthcare workers. Three anonymous surveys were administered to each group. Infection control, safety/employee health administrators, and healthcare workers differed in their perceptions regarding respirators. Safety/employee health administrators were more aware and supportive of respiratory protection but they also had gaps in knowledge. Both groups reported compliance with basic respiratory protection requirements but variable compliance with mandatory OSHA respirator program evaluation and fit testing procedure requirements such as employee selection of an acceptable respirator and allowing fit test subjects to try on respirators for one to five minutes. Survey respondents reported concerns regarding respirator costs, comfort and conflicting recommendations regarding respiratory protection. There was a lack of awareness of FDA approval requirements for respirators. Recommendations include the provision of more training and information regarding respiratory protection for infection control and hospital safety personnel. Future regulatory activity should focus on fitting characteristics of respirators. More research and evaluation of current respiratory protection practices in healthcare facilities is also recommended.

Download or read book Occupational Health Nurses and Respiratory Protection written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-11-06 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Occupational health nurses (OHNs) are front-line advocates for preventing illness and injury and protecting health in a variety of workplace settings, including the areas of agriculture, construction, health care, manufacturing, and public safety. OHNs need education and training in respiratory protection in order to ensure both their safety and the safety of America's workers. At the request of the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) examined existing respiratory protection curricula and made recommendations to improve education and training in respiratory protection for OHNs. The IOM finds that current respiratory protection education receives varying amounts of dedicated time and resources and is taught using a variety of approaches. Several recommendations are made to improve the respiratory protection education and training of OHNs.

Download or read book The Use and Effectiveness of Powered Air Purifying Respirators in Health Care written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2015-05-07 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Protecting 18 million United States health care workers from infectious agents - known and unknown - involves a range of occupational safety and health measures that include identifying and using appropriate protective equipment. The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa have called raised questions about how best to ensure appropriate and effective use of different kinds of personal protective equipment such as respirators, not only to promote occupational safety but also to reduce disease transmission. The Use and Effectiveness of Powered Air Purifying Respirators in Health Care is the summary of a workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine Standing Committee on Personal Protective Equipment for Workplace Safety and Health to explore the current state of practices and research related to powered air purifying respirator (PAPRs) and potential updates to performance requirements. Presentations and discussions highlighted current health care practices using PAPRs and outlined the research to date on the use and effectiveness of PAPRs in health care settings with a focus on the performance requirements. The Use and Effectiveness of Powered Air Purifying Respirators in Health Care focuses on efficacy, current training, maintenance, supplies, and possible enhancements and barriers to use in inpatient, clinic, nursing home, and community (home) settings. This report also explores the strengths and weaknesses of using various approaches to health care PAPR standards.

Download or read book Current Issues in the Assessment of Respiratory Protective Devices for Occupational and Non Occupational Uses written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2021-01-13 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To address approaches to the respirator approval process in the current landscape for both occupational and non-occupational use of respirators, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Standing Committee on Personal Protective Equipment for Workplace Safety and Health convened a virtual workshop, Current Issues in the Assessment of Respiratory Protective Devices: Nontraditional Workers and Public Use on August 4â€"5, 2020. Additionally, the workshop considered gaps in respiratory protection for outdoor workers and the general public. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Download or read book Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit Resources for Respirator Program Administrators written by and published by . This book was released on 2020-05-03 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit - Resources for Respirator Program Administrators Introduction to This Toolkit This toolkit was developed to assist hospitals in developing and implementing effective respiratory protection programs, with an emphasis on preventing the transmission of aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs) to healthcare personnel. Healthcare personnel are paid and unpaid persons who provide patient care in a healthcare setting or support the delivery of healthcare by providing clerical, dietary, housekeeping, engineering, security, or maintenance services. Healthcare personnel may potentially be exposed to ATD pathogens. Aerosols are particles or droplets suspended in air. ATDs are diseases transmitted when infectious agents, which are suspended or present in particles or droplets, contact the mucous membranes or are inhaled. Hospitals are unique work environments with challenging occupational health and safety issues. Some hospitals have health and safety personnel who are highly qualified to develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures to control workplace exposures. However, in many facilities with more limited resources, the role of the health and safety professional might be taken on as an added responsibility by someone in the nursing, employee health, or infection control department. This toolkit is written as a practical manual that can be used by anyone charged with setting up and maintaining a hospital respiratory protection program. A respirator is a device worn over the nose and mouth to protect the wearer from hazardous materials in the breathing zone. Notice: This document was adapted from a California-specific guide, Implementing Respiratory Protection Programs in Hospitals: A Guide for Respirator Program Administrators, May 2012, which was developed by the California Department of Public Health, Occupational Health Branch, and the Public Health Institute under contract no. 254-2010-345-11 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NIOSH-NPPTL). The guide was adapted under contract no. 254-2011-M-40839 from NIOSH-NPPTL to produce this toolkit. This guidance document is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations. It contains recommendations as well as descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards. The recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in content, and are intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to comply with safety and health standards and regulations promulgated by OSHA or by a state with an OSHA-approved state plan. In addition, the Act's General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), requires employers to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. * The version of this publication is as described above (this article is updated after each new edition). Disclaimer: "The use or appearance of United States federal publications, text, images or logos on a non-Federal Government website does not imply or constitute of endorsement of the distribution service."

Download or read book Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-04-15 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Protecting the health and safety of health care workers is vital to the health of each of us. Preparing for and responding to a future influenza pandemic or to a sustained outbreak of an airborne transmissible disease requires a high-level commitment to respiratory protection for health care workers across the wide range of settings in which they work and the jobs that they perform. Keeping health care workers healthy is an ethical commitment both in terms of addressing the occupational risks faced by health care workers and of providing for the continuity of patient care and services needed to maintain the health of individuals and communities. During a public health emergency, challenges will arise concerning the availability of respiratory protective devices (i.e., respirators). Reusable respirators (specifically, reusable half-facepiece elastomeric respirators) are the standard respiratory protection device used in many industries, and they provide an option for use in health care that has to date not been fully explored. The durability and reusability of elastomeric respirators make them desirable for stockpiling for emergencies, where the need for large volumes of respirators can be anticipated. However, they are used infrequently in health care. Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care explores the potential for the use of elastomeric respirators in the U.S. health care system with a focus on the economic, policy, and implementation challenges and opportunities. This report examines the practicability of elastomeric use in health care on a routine basis and during an influenza pandemic or other large aerosol-transmissible outbreak, when demand for respiratory protective devices by U.S. health care personnel may be larger than domestic supplies. The report also addresses the issues regarding emergency stockpile management of elastomeric respiratory protective devices.

Download or read book Handbook of Respiratory Protection written by LeeAnn Racz and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-11-22 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Respiratory protection includes devices and management techniques for keeping people safe from hazardous materials. This handbook presents the state-of-the-art in respiratory protection technology as well as best management practices for work centers. Included are topics relevant to industry, government, and healthcare that provide guidance and tools for ensuring the best possible protection for workers. Most books on this topic are at least 20 years old. Research, technology and management techniques have advanced over the past two decades. This new handbook is needed to provide updated information relevant to today's occupational needs for industrial hygiene and safety professionals.

Download or read book Frameworks for Protecting Workers and the Public from Inhalation Hazards written by National Academies Of Sciences Engineeri and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2022-11-10 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Individuals in the United States and Americans abroad are exposed to inhalation hazards from a variety of sources, and these hazards can have both short- and long-term adverse effects on health. For example, exposure to wildfire smoke, which contains particulate matter and toxic chemicals, can lead to respiratory problems, increased risk for heart attacks, and other adverse health outcomes. Individuals also may be exposed to airborne infectious agents through aerosol or droplet transmission, and as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the individual and public health consequences of these exposures can be severe. Storms, floods, and hurricanes can increase exposure to moisture-driven hazards, such as mold, and to accidental releases from production facilities or transport vehicles that may result in chemical exposures. The current regulatory system is focused primarily on ensuring access to respiratory protection in occupational settings characterized by well-defined hazards and employer-employee relationships. With this narrow regulatory focus, the respiratory protection needs of the public and many workers are not being met. As climate change increases the incidence and severity of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, infectious disease outbreaks, and other phenomena that impact air quality and human health, it is imperative that the United States ensure that the respiratory protection needs of the public and all workers are met. Recognizing the urgent need to address the gaps in the nation's ability to meet the respiratory protection needs of the public and workers without workplace respiratory protection programs, this report makes recommendations for a framework of responsibilities and authorities that would provide a unified and authoritative source of information and effective oversight for the development, approval, and use of respiratory protection.

Download or read book Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-03-15 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Protecting the health and safety of health care workers is vital to the health of each of us. Preparing for and responding to a future influenza pandemic or to a sustained outbreak of an airborne transmissible disease requires a high-level commitment to respiratory protection for health care workers across the wide range of settings in which they work and the jobs that they perform. Keeping health care workers healthy is an ethical commitment both in terms of addressing the occupational risks faced by health care workers and of providing for the continuity of patient care and services needed to maintain the health of individuals and communities. During a public health emergency, challenges will arise concerning the availability of respiratory protective devices (i.e., respirators). Reusable respirators (specifically, reusable half-facepiece elastomeric respirators) are the standard respiratory protection device used in many industries, and they provide an option for use in health care that has to date not been fully explored. The durability and reusability of elastomeric respirators make them desirable for stockpiling for emergencies, where the need for large volumes of respirators can be anticipated. However, they are used infrequently in health care. Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care explores the potential for the use of elastomeric respirators in the U.S. health care system with a focus on the economic, policy, and implementation challenges and opportunities. This report examines the practicability of elastomeric use in health care on a routine basis and during an influenza pandemic or other large aerosol-transmissible outbreak, when demand for respiratory protective devices by U.S. health care personnel may be larger than domestic supplies. The report also addresses the issues regarding emergency stockpile management of elastomeric respiratory protective devices.

Download or read book Respiratory Protection written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Current Issues in the Assessment of Respiratory Protective Devices for Occupational and Non Occupational Uses written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2021-02-13 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To address approaches to the respirator approval process in the current landscape for both occupational and non-occupational use of respirators, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Standing Committee on Personal Protective Equipment for Workplace Safety and Health convened a virtual workshop, Current Issues in the Assessment of Respiratory Protective Devices: Nontraditional Workers and Public Use on August 4â€"5, 2020. Additionally, the workshop considered gaps in respiratory protection for outdoor workers and the general public. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Download or read book Tuberculosis in the Workplace written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-05-15 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before effective treatments were introduced in the 1950s, tuberculosis was a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Health care workers were at particular risk. Although the occupational risk of tuberculosis has been declining in recent years, this new book from the Institute of Medicine concludes that vigilance in tuberculosis control is still needed in workplaces and communities. Tuberculosis in the Workplace reviews evidence about the effectiveness of control measuresâ€"such as those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionâ€"intended to prevent transmission of tuberculosis in health care and other workplaces. It discusses whether proposed regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would likely increase or sustain compliance with effective control measures and would allow adequate flexibility to adapt measures to the degree of risk facing workers.

Download or read book Practical Guide to Respirator Usage in Industry written by Gyan Rajhans and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2002-11-18 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new edition outlines the design and implementation of an effective respiratory protective equipment program for industries in which workers are at risk from inhaled particulates, toxins and other hazardous materials. The book is intended for managers, health and safety committees, safety specialists and occupational health professionals who need the most up-to-date and practical advice in a concise and easy to read step-by-step form rather than an abstract and theoretical reference on the subject. As in the first edition, the authors present individual components of a respiratory protection program by including chapters on the respiratory tract and how toxic substances affect the lung, different respirator types and their limitations, the criteria for selection, fitting, supervision, training, cleaning, administration and medical assessment, advice on how to set up an RPE (respiratory protection equipment) program, and case studies to illustrate the need of an effective RPE program in the workplace. An impressive number of new research and application related publications have been reviewed since the publication of the first edition. The references (including relevant web sites) and abstracts of these publications have been included to help the reader select appropriate resources for further reading. - Experts guide you through the complex data presented to industries by OSHA, NIOSH, ANSI, BSI and other health and safety standards setting organizations and equipment manufacturers - Saves time and effort in searching official OEM literatureSeveral case studies to illustrate the improper respirator selections and resulting detrimental effects

Download or read book Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit written by U. S. Department Labor and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-06-02 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This toolkit was developed to assist hospitals in developing and implementing effective respiratory protection programs, with an emphasis on preventing the transmission of aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs) to healthcare personnel. Healthcare personnel are paid and unpaid persons who provide patient care in a healthcare setting or support the delivery of healthcare by providing clerical, dietary, housekeeping, engineering, security, or maintenance services. Healthcare personnel may potentially be exposed to ATD pathogens. Aerosols are particles or droplets suspended in air. ATDs are diseases transmitted when infectious agents, which are suspended or present in particles or droplets, contact the mucous membranes or are inhaled. This toolkit is written as a practical manual that can be used by anyone charged with setting up and maintaining a hospital respiratory protection program. This toolkit identifies existing public health guidance where available on the use of respiratory protection. Scientific evidence is continuously evolving, particularly with regard to disease transmission. Precautionary use of respiratory protection may be prudent where scientific uncertainty exists.

Download or read book NIOSH Recommended Guidelines for Personal Respiratory Protection of Workers in Health care Facilities Potentially Exposed to Tuberculosis written by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Personal Protective Technology Program at NIOSH written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2008-10-25 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maintaining the health and safety of workers in the United States and globally is accomplished in part by reducing hazardous exposures through the use of personal protective equipment. Personal protective technologies (PPT) include respirators worn by construction workers and miners; protective clothing, respirators, and gloves worn by firefighters and mine rescue workers; and respirators and protective clothing worn by healthcare workers. An estimated 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million U.S. workplaces. For some occupations, such as firefighting, the worker's protective equipment is the only form of protection against life-threatening hazards; for other workers, the PPT is a supplement to ventilation and other environmental, engineering, or administrative hazard controls. In the United States, federal responsibility for civilian worker PPT is integral to the mission of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). This book examines the NIOSH Personal Protective Technology Program (PPT Program) and specifically focuses on the relevance and impact of this program in reducing hazardous exposures and improving worker health and safety.

Download or read book Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Revised Respiratory Protection Standard written by United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: