Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Respiratory Protection

Abstract

Management of hazards in biomedical research facilities requires the application of the traditional industrial hygiene responsibilities of anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control to characterize the work environment, evaluate tasks and equipment, identify hazards, define exposure groups, and recommend controls. Generally, the diversity and unique characteristics of hazards faced by laboratory and animal facility employees and the short-term and low-level nature of the exposures factor into the selection of proper exposure control measures in the laboratory. The proper selection of control measures is based on a hierarchy of elimination and minimization by engineering controls, followed last by personal protective equipment when exposures cannot be eliminated. Once it is decided that personal protective equipment is needed, specific regulations and guidelines define safety standards for research facilities, including the elements of a sound respiratory protection program. These elements include respirator selection (including appropriate protection factors), medical evaluation, fit testing, training, inspection, maintenance and care, quality, quantity and flow of breathing air, and routine and emergency use procedures.

Fatores de riscos ocupacionais e implicações à saúde do trabalhador em biotérios

“…Assim também a falta de EPIs e EPCs, e sua utilização inadequada, considerados fatores de risco de acidente, contribui de maneira efetiva para a prevalência de algumas implicações à saúde como as 'doenças de pele', os 'problemas osteomusculares', a 'zoonose', além dos 'problemas respiratórios' já associados a outros fatores (SARGENT; GALLO, 2003;PRATES;RODRIGUES, 2013).…”

A multi‐faceted approach to risk assessment of laboratory animal allergens at two facilities

“…Collecting background information through management and employee questionnaires gives the assessment team an overall impression of safety management and of employees' Ryder,1999;Harrison, 2001;Preece and Renstro« m, 2002;Wald and Stave, 2003;Sargent and Gallo, 2003; …”

Establishing molecular microbiology facilities in developing countries

“…A biosafety committee should be established to gauge the success of the biosafety plan by implementing and enforcing laboratory protocols and encouraging strict adherence to safety guidelines. Because the identity of infectious agents remains unknown during the initiation of microbial investigations, biosafety level-2 is recommended for clinical microbiology laboratories [25,26].…”