You can now watch two new videos on respirators and facemasks on the US Department of Labor’s YouTube site. Respirator Safety which runs around nine minutes contains general instructions on how to properly put on and take off certain types of respirators. It advises that specific instructions must be consulted from the manufacturer’s manual. The video also differentiates a user seal check and a fit test. It says that a user fit test is done every time one wears a respirator while a fit test is done when one uses a respirator for the first time and at least annually thereafter. It warns users not to enter a hazardous area and instead consult the supervisor when a proper seal cannot be achieved.
On the other hand, The Difference between Respirators and Surgical Masks, the other video that runs around five and half minutes, makes it clear that a surgical mask is not a respirator. It says that a respirator reduces exposure to airborne infectious diseases contaminants while facemasks are not designed to prevent the inhalation of airborne contaminants. They may have differences but both need to be worn correctly and consistently while in use. Respirators must be NIOSH-certified while facemasks must be FDA-approved.
Both videos show that respirators must be used in the context of a comprehensive respiratory program.
In related news, the California Department of Public Health or CDPH has ordered a recall of 3M 8000, a type of N95 respirator, because of its “low success rate in fit-testing.” Millions of respirators have been released in October of last year to protect workers of health-care facilities from being exposed to the H1N1 influenza virus. However, DOSH and CDPH urge employers to use other respirators. DOSH is not actually preventing the use of these respirators but it “strongly recommends against using this model for prevention of aerosol-transmitted disease.” It asks employers who still decide to use these respirators to make sure that the respirators fit the workers.
CDPH says it will provide other brands and models of respirators to local health departments upon request. To protect the supply, DOSH reminds employers to conserve respirators. Employers are encouraged to limit exposure to disease “by appropriate patient identification and placement, source control measures, and using engineering and work practice controls to minimize respirator use.”
Respiratory protection items such as respirators and facemasks are very important personal protective equipment in the workplace especially in health care units. The proper use, disposal, cleaning and storage of such equipment must not be taken for granted. Remember to always check the PPE you are going to use if it is compatible with the specific work you are going to perform and always inspect them first and use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Safety first!
