Page 42 - OHS, January/February 2021

PPE: RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
A properly fit tested N95 respirator will greatly reduce the number of small particles that will enter the wearer’s respiratory system, as compared to a surgical mask that is not NIOSH approved.
tors before each use, as well as comply with the other elements of a comprehensive respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134. If the wearer is unable to obtain a proper fit, they must not enter a contaminated work area.
A properly fit tested N95 respirator will greatly reduce the number of small particles that will enter the wearer’s respiratory system, as compared to a surgical mask that is not NIOSH ap- proved. The extent of that reduction is a function of the fit of the mask, its filtration efficiency level (with respirators available from 95 percent to 99.97 percent filter efficiency), the size of the haz- ardous particles and the wearer’s proper donning and wearing of the respirator according to the training the employer provides as required by OSHA regulations. While N95s can reduce a wearer’s exposure to hazardous particles, they cannot guarantee that the wearer will not be exposed.
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to the very close facial fit they provide. N95s are designed to seal to a wearer’s face in order to achieve the intended effectiveness of filtering 95 percent of particles with a mass median diameter of 0.3 micrometers. Under Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910.134, OSHA requires the wearer of a respirator to be fit tested before they can use the respirator in a contaminated environment and a refit at least once annually.
OSHA also requires users to perform seal checks on respira-
Not every N95 is the same. There are two main types of N95s— surgical and industrial. Both surgical N95 respirators and indus- trial N95 respirators provide different types of protection suited for distinctly different applications.
Surgical N95 Respirators. Surgical N95 respirators are in- tended for use in healthcare settings and are designed to not only reduce the wearer’s exposure to airborne biological contaminants, but also add some protection from liquid splash such as blood or body fluids. Surgical N95s form a tight seal over the mouth and nose. In order to be most effective, surgical N95s must be fit tested regularly and be adjusted to the wearer’s face.
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