Page 20 - OHS, May 2021

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
With the pandemic came skyrocketing demand for respiratory PPE, resulting in a critical shortage of PPE in many industries, with healthcare being hit the hardest.
respiratory mask protection for our frontline workers. Comfort has a variety of implications, including breathability, exhalation and lightweight material. If PPE isn’t comfortable, workers won’t want to wear it and a respirator only works if it’s used—and used properly.
The future of respiratory protection lies in the everchanging needs of the end user. Voice of Customer (VOC) research is
critical to the future of product development to understand from our workers fifirst-hand what they need in their PPE. From insights about breathability, comfort, and fifit tests, we should always think, front and center, about the needs and experience of the end user in our product development. How do they defifine comfort? What are some nuances they’d like in terms of design? We develop prototypes, then further tests with end users, assimilating the results into each iteration of our next generation products.
At every stage, including R&D, material scientists, mechanical engineering to supply chain, it’s vital to bring end users in at each and every checkpoint. Their input allows experts to elevate the product. Because even with our rich legacy, we never become complacent or design products in a silo. Our research and ultimately, our product development, is by the users, for the users.
At the end of the day, the future of safety is dependent on workers having a future of their own. In this future, safety solutions adapt to changing needs and environments. They increase productivity and efficiency, instead of getting in the way. And above all, they don’t stop working until the last worker clocks out and returns home.
As an industry, we have accomplished so much in the last century. But what’s to come in the next century?
Sayanti Basu serves as the Global Director for Respiratory at Honeywell.
Make a difference.
Make it count.
IntroducingtheNewAccuFIT9000® PRO
Getting workers fitted fast and back on the job is mission-critical. There’s no time for uncertainty. Today’s tough environment means Quantitative Fit Tests can make the difference between safe and at-risk exposures.
The new AccuFIT 9000® PRO has all the capabilities you need to accurately fit ALL mask types. It’s a simple, easy-to-use device that includes OSHA’s streamlined 2019 CNC protocol.
ACCUTEC.COM
RESPIRATOR FIT TESTING for the REAL WORLD
QUANTITATIVE TESTING
FOR ALL RESPIRATOR TYPES:
N95
P100 & N99
FFP1, FFP2, & FFP3
Full- & Half-Face Elastomerics
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www.o4h/s6/o2n1 li2n:e55.cPoMm
Circle 25 on card.