Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:53:44 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: 5 Re: [DCHAS-L] Do surgical masks = 'respirators'?
Date: January 25, 2011
10:07:02 AM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Do
surgical masks = 'respirators'?
Surgical masks are NOT considered respirators for
OSHA purposes. An OSHA respirator will have a "TC" approval number. No
TC# means it is not a respirator. This also means that the single strap
dust masks without a TC number are not respirators and can be worn
without being part of the respiratory protection
program.
Kim Auletta
Lab Safety
Specialist
EH&S
Z=6200
Stony Brook
University
631-632-3032
FAX: 631-632-9683
Remember to wash your hands!
===
From: bill parks <misterbill21225**At_Symbol_Here**yahoo.com>
;Date: January 25, 2011 10:33:52 AM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Do surgical masks =
'respirators'?
You need to keep in mind all portions of the
standard. Respirators have to be keep in sanitary condition, capable of
being cleaned, adequately fitted, reliable, and dependable. Disposable
"dust masks" don't seem to qualify.
I strongly encourage my
clients to not use dust masks, but to use P100 filters with the
respirator - halfface, fullface,PAPR - that keeps their employees
protected to less than the PEL for the substance (s) in
question.
Omho.
Thanks,
Bill
Parks
CHST, CHMP, CEHT, LSP(C),
RPIH
CHEMPHYXX
630/380-4032
**Providing sound Industrial Hygiene, Occupational
Health and Safety, Environmental Health & IAQ, Environmental
Science, and Laboratory support services and solutions for nearly 30
years**
===
Date: January 25, 2011 10:13:46 AM ESTSubject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Do surgical masks =
'respirators'?
Definitely not.
Surgical masks are used to protect the "patient" - to keep the wearer
from drooling or expelling massive amounts of aerosolized respiratory
secretion directly into the patient's surgical wound.
They also will
prevent direct contact of splashed or spattered liquids with the
wearer's face and thus OSHA may allow them to be used for that purpose,
but they provide essentially zero protection to the wearer from
respiratory hazards and are not ANY form of respiratory protection
whatsoever.
Randal O. Norman
===
From: "Brady
Arnold" <
barnold**At_Symbol_Here**xenotechllc.com>
Date: January 25, 2011 11:08:18 AM EST
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Do surgical masks =
'respirators'?
I actually had
the same question several years ago. We use surgical masks to avoid
direct splash contamination when working on livers.
After reading a
lot of opinions that could be interperted both ways, I called the
regional OSHA office. Their answer was no, surgical masks are not
respirators. Part of the answer was that surgical masks don=92t seal
tightly over the face; therefore they don=92t require medical oversight
to ensure sufficient lung capacity.
-Brady
Brady P. Arnold
Engineer III / Safety Officer
XenoTech LLC
phone (913)
227-7143
fax (913)
227-7199
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===
From: <mansdorfz**At_Symbol_Here**bellsouth.net>Date: January 25, 2011 10:17:14 AM EST
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Do surgical masks =
'respirators'? Wow.
Surgical masks are not respirators and do not have a NIOSH
approval or certification. You might need a nuisance dust mask
(disposable) for this operation or in no case should you allow surgical
masks to be used. As a final note=85=85=85=85..the surgical masks
are designed to protect the patient from the surgeon and not the
user.
S. Z. Mansdorf,
PhD, CIH, CSP, QEP
