All of our employees who are required to use respirators have had physicals (including spirometry) to ensure that they are physically able to use an Air Purifying Respirator (APR) and SCBA. Once they pass the physical, they are fit tested
and trained on the proper use and care of the respiratory equipment.
We scheduled appoints with our occupational safety and health provider and were told that they are not allowed to conduct spirometry evaluations at this time due to COVID restrictions.
Have any members of the group experienced this and if so, how were they able to certify employees for respirator use in the absence of spirometry?
BTW, we are located in Massachusetts.
Joe
Joseph C. Peters, PE
Senior Director - Process Technology | Technip Energies
P +1 781 340 2901 | M +1 617 620 7120
TechnipFMC
56 Woodrock Road | E.. Weymouth, MA | 02189
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We did some testing here at the university some years ago with lab coats and t-butyl lithium following the referenced tragedy.
The most striking comparison was a 65-35 polyester /cotton blend which gave a very energetic flame spread vs
100% cotton, Nomex, or other treated fabrics.
I would certainly want to stay away from synthetic fabric masks for lab use.
Ken Kretchman, CIH, CSP Director, Environmental Health
and Safety
NC State University / Box 8007 / 2620 Wolf Village Way / Raleigh North Carolina 27695-8007
If you are working with phosphoric you need serious fire resistant PPE. Also limited amount of flammable material in hood area as well as in the cabinet under the hood.
Remember the Sherry Sanji tragedy.
For those organic synthesis research labs, is your EHS department recommending fire-resistant face masks? Or 100% cotton?
Margaret
--
Margaret A. Rakas, Ph.D.
Lab Safety & Compliance Director
Clark Science Center
413-585-3877 (p)
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