The Personal Protective Technology Program at NIOSH Reviews of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2008) / Chapter Skim
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4 Emerging Issues and Research Areas in Personal Protective Technology
4 Emerging Issues and Research Areas in Personal Protective Technology
Pages 101-115
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From page 101... ...
the committee provides this chapter as a forward look toward ensuring that the program is on the forefront of personal protective technologies. A full evaluation of emerging areas for PPT research and standards setting would require a comprehensive review of the field.
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From page 102... ...
Results of intra mural and extramural research also provide input to the process as do feedback and interactions with the many collaborating partner organizations and agencies. On its website, NIOSH identifies the following emerging issues as top priori ties for the PPT Program's efforts to provide effective NIOSH-certified respiratory protection equipment for all workers: CBRN protections, pandemic influenza preparedness, mine-related research, and nanotechnology (NIOSH, 2007)
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From page 103... ...
In developing its research priorities and other critical aspects of its program, the PPT Program needs to more closely follow a life-cycle approach to PPT testing with particular attention to increasing pre- and post-marketing field studies. This life-cycle approach should be implemented for all types of personal protective technologies.
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From page 104... ...
A recent IOM report on personal protective equipment for healthcare workers (IOM, 2008) discussed some of the technologies on the near horizon including shape memory polymers.
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From page 105... ...
Systematic laboratory- and field-based studies need to be conducted that support the development of performance goals and technologies for heat stress reduction and other physiologic burdens resulting from wearing PPT. The impact of protective equipment on the susceptibility of users to heat stroke is an important area of inquiry.
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From page 106... ...
The significant growth of the number of females in nontraditional workplaces, such as the construction trades, lends some urgency to the need for attention to issues of fit and usability. Some initial work designed to improve awareness and research on issues con cerning women and the use of personal protective equipment has been the result of a NIOSH-Department of Labor (DoL)
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From page 107... ...
Developing PPT ensembles will need to involve the standardization of fittings and seals so that PPT components and technologies can be truly integrated and interoperable. PPT Program staff members have worked with the International Association of Fire Fighters and others to develop and test ensembles for firefighters that integrate protective and functional gloves into firefighter coats.
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From page 108... ...
OSHA regulatory requirements mandate that work sites using respirators provide a respirator training program; best practices in those programs need to be identified and disseminated. An assessment of current training and fit testing programs and respirator use should be carried out by the PPT Program, in collaboration with its many partners, to identify pressing training and educational issues and to develop the materials and programs essential to meet those needs.
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From page 109... ...
Thus, advances in communication technologies should also be considered an integral part of the PPT research program. Although these technologies often go beyond the purview of traditional PPT, the committee urges the PPT Program to continue to provide innovative leadership in facilitating partnerships that can assess the entire work environment to identify opportunities for improving the utility of PPT for worker safety within a context that integrates these other important factors, such as communication devices and rescue protocols.
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From page 110... ...
Flow Rates The selection of proper flow rates for testing respirator equipment is impor tant to worker protection. Flow rate tests are used to simulate the breathing of workers at different work rates in different environments.
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From page 111... ...
, manufacturers currently rely on a relatively large motor and blower, which, for some occupations such as health care, can seriously interfere with worker communication and mobility. Currently, chemical warfare agent tests for air-purifying respirators, PAPRs, and escape respirators use flow rates of 40 liters per minute (42 CFR 84)
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From page 112... ...
The PPT Program sponsored an IOM study (IOM, 2007) specifically focused on these issues and has provided a detailed response to the IOM committee report (NIOSH, 2008c)
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From page 113... ...
to expedite research to address a range of short- and long-term needs including the following: • Assessing the viability of virus particles on nondisposable and dispos able respirators and other PPT • Developing effective decontamination methods -- this is particularly critical for healthcare workers who interact with many patients and staff members over the course of a day • Understanding the hazards posed by viral particle size and aerosoliza tion from a human cough and the impact on the design of PPT • Assessing physiological factors that favor or fail to support N95 use when covered by a surgical mask Nanotechnology Much remains to be learned about the extent to which nanoparticles pose a health hazard. This is an area where NIOSH has moved out ahead of the curve to examine occupational health concerns.
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From page 114... ...
The program should focus on developing systematic secondary data analysis methods and working out protocols and frameworks to collect and extract relevant information that can be used in the evaluation and design of PPT. Information from the HHE Program and other sources can eventually be used in the National Occupational Exposure Database, currently under development by NIOSH (NIOSH, 2002)
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From page 115... ...
2007. NIOSH program portfolio, personal protective technology.
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