Observations of Respirator Use by Demolition Companies

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dejoy D ; Doney B ; Greskevich, Mark F. ; Groce D ; Oke C
• Description:
  Our objective was to identify distinguishing features of respirator programs in demolition companies. Focus group data indicate that large demolition companies are attentive to respirator use, perhaps due to the potential presence of hazardous substances during routine demolition operations. These substances include silica, asbestos, lead, metal fumes, and miscellaneous chemical vapors. During 2006, NIOSH investigators visited five sizable demolition companies, including six work sites in Houston and Chicago. The purpose was to increase the knowledge base regarding policies and practices found to strengthen respirator use as well as to gain insights regarding successful respiratory protection programs. Some companies worked throughout the United States, while others worked only in Chicago or Houston. The nature of their work included demolition of industrial, commercial, and public buildings as well as industrial complexes. (The companies visited are not necessarily representative of the entire demolition industry.) The visits with demolition companies identified the following practices as important to successful respiratory protection programs: (1) a clear company priority for safety and health; (2) frequent safety meetings, specifying circumstances requiring respiratory protection, at the job site; (3) providing a safe, clean area for storing respirators; (4) easy availability of replacement respirator bodies and filters; (5) maintenance of a stable work force. Two problems with respiratory protection implementation were identified during site visits: (1) difficulties in keeping respirators clean over an extended period of time, and (2) the need to be vigilant to minimize physical interference between respirators and other personal protective equipment. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety Safety Management Workplace
• Keywords:
  Construction Construction-workers Filter-materials Injury-prevention Personal-protection Personal-protective-equipment Protective-equipment Protective-measures Respiratory-protection Respiratory-protective-equipment Safety-measures Safety-practices Surveillance Work-analysis Work-environment Work-practices

  More +
• Publisher:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; Pennsylvania ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20032910
• Citation:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, June 2-7, 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2007 Jun; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, June 2-7, 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c6c896929bf434d86d987545efeca2670eeb33b42d9022f7ff127a8e643cc86f32f3d598b82c308b0484d01ca9f0d7e94e25cf73c464e4b853d115805915fa07
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/186698/cdc_186698_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 537.16 KB ]