The physiological consequences of wearing industrial respirators: A review

Raven, Peter B.; Dodson, Ann T.; Davis, Thomas Osborne

doi:10.1080/15298667991429912

Cited by 49 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…However, some people have considered that respirators should be used regardless of airborne concentration [1,41,42]. This practice does not consider factors related to interpretation of the OSHA PEL [59], the importance and applicability of engineering controls [35][36][37] and physiological stressors associated with the employment of respirators [43]. Use of respirators for exposures below the OSHA PEL may actually have more harm than benefit when all factors are considered [43,115,116].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This practice does not consider factors related to interpretation of the OSHA PEL [59], the importance and applicability of engineering controls [35][36][37] and physiological stressors associated with the employment of respirators [43]. Use of respirators for exposures below the OSHA PEL may actually have more harm than benefit when all factors are considered [43,115,116]. Although workers performing asbestos abatement, particularly those using negative pressure respirators and potentially exposed above the OSHA PEL, often have a medical surveillance examination (occupational physical), that does not provide good assurances against physiological stress [117,118].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many specifications have required use of PPE, particularly respirators, without consideration of historical exposure data [1,41,42]. This has resulted in unnecessary use of respirators and additional physiological stress to workers [43]. Contractors, consultants, industrial hygienists and other parties often do not collect and analyse data from previous projects and subsequently employ a practice of re-creating data for each project [35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Statistical Evaluation of Asbestos Air Concentrations

Lange¹

1999

Indoor Built Environ

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Both area and personal air samples collected during an asbestos abatement project were matched and statistically analysed. Among the many parameters studied were fibre concentrations and their variability. Mean values for area and personal samples were 0.005 and 0.024 f·cm^–3 of air, respectively. Summary values for area and personal samples suggest that exposures are low with no single exposure value exceeding the current OSHA TWA value of 0.1 f·cm^–3 of air. Within- and between-worker analysis suggests that these data are homogeneous. Comparison of within- and between-worker values suggests that the exposure source and variability for abatement are more related to the process than individual practices. This supports the importance of control measures for abatement. Study results also suggest that area and personal samples are not statistically related, that is, there is no association observed for these two sampling methods when data are analysed by correlation or regression analysis. Personal samples were statistically higher in concentration than area samples. Area sampling cannot be used as a surrogate exposure index for asbestos abatement workers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Statistical Evaluation of Asbestos Air Concentrations

Lange¹

1999

Indoor Built Environ

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“…The use of respiratory protective devices, or respirators, is required when other preventive controls prove insufficient. Respirators are usually classified into the following three major categories according to their technical factors and efficiency: (i) filtering (air-purifying) devices, (ii) airline (supplied-air) apparatus, and (iii) self-contained breathing apparatus (50). The first type may be mounted with different dust and/or gas filters.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological effects associated with the use of respiratory protective devices. A review.

Va¹

1984

Scand J Work Environ Health

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LOUHEVAARA VA. Physiological effects associated with the use of respiratory protective devices: A review. Scand J Work Environ Health 10 (1984) 275-281. Several types of filtering (air-purifying) devices, air-line (supplied-air) apparatus, and self-contained breathing apparatus are used at work. The most important parameters of the respiratory protective devices that affect physical work capacity are additional inspiratory and expiratory breathing resistance, dead space, and weight. The main physiological effects of the respirators are alterations in breathing pattern, hypoventilation, retention of carbon dioxide, and increase in the work of breathing. The undesirable effects are accentuated during heavy physical work, maximal physical work capacity thereby being reduced.Key terms: breathing pattern, gas exchange, heart rate.Attempts to prevent health hazards caused by exposure to contaminated atmospheres usually focus on the technical and organizational arrangements of the work involved. The use of respiratory protective devices, or respirators, is required when other preventive controls prove insufficient. Respirators are usually classified into the following three major categories according to their technical factors and efficiency: (i) filtering (air-purifying) devices, (ii) airline (supplied-air) apparatus, and (iii) self-contained breathing apparatus (50). The first type may be mounted with different dust and/or gas filters. The latter two are atmoshpere-supplying respirators. They can be either demand or pressure-demand (continuous safety pressure inside the face mask) in type. Respirators are generally used with a full-face or a half-face mask.Above all else respirators must be efficient. And their efficiency is highly dependent on the amount and manner of use.Research results have indicated that respirators are available and in use in only 20-30 % of the work phases evaluated as needing them (3, 63). Failure to use a respirator is influenced by psychological factors (44,45,46), by the additional burden on the respiratory organs, and by thermal stress (51).The most important parameters affecting physical work performance with a respirator include the additional inspiratory and/or expiratory breathing resistance involved, the external dead space of the equipment, and the weight of the apparatus. These parameters are presented for different types of respirators in table 1. The values are based on recent measurements with new equipment.In industry filtering devices and air-line apparatus are usually worn in light or moderately heavy tasks of a long duration (41). The use of a self-contained breathing apparatus is limited to short durations in rescue and repair tasks which often require maximal or near maximal physical effort (32,35,43, 65).More scientific information about respirators is needed for both their proper use and technical design. The aim of the present review is to highlight the effects of different factors associated with the use of respirators on breathing pattern, respiratory gas exchange, an...

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“…Gas masks and other filter respirators have been found to change pulmonary function (Kelly, T.L., Yeager, J.E., Sucec, A.A., Ryman, D., Englund, C.E., and Smith, D.A., 1987;Raven, 1980;Raven, P.B., Dodson, A.T., and Davis, T.O., 1979), to decrease endurance (Craig, F.N., Blevins, W.V., and Cummings, E.G., 1970;Stemler and Craig, 1977), and to have deleterious psychological effects, (Brooks, F.R., Xenakis, S.N., Ebner, D.G., and Balson, P.M., 1983;Carter and Cammermeyer, 1985;Morgan, 1983).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%