Speech intelligibility assessment of protective facemasks and air-purifying respirators

Details

• Personal Author:
  Morgan JW III ; Palmiero AJ ; Shaffer RE ; Symons D
• Description:
  Speech Intelligibility (SI) is the perceived quality of sound transmission. In healthcare settings, the ability to communicate clearly with coworkers, patients, etc. is crucial to quality patient care and safety. The objectives of this study were to 1) assess the suitability of the Speech Transmission Index (STI) methods for testing reusable and disposable facial and respiratory personal protective equipment (protective facemasks [PF], N95 filtering facepiece respirators [N95 FFR], and elastomeric half-mask air-purifying respirators [EAPR]) commonly worn by healthcare workers, 2) quantify STI levels of these devices, and 3) contribute to the scientific body of knowledge in the area of SI. SI was assessed using the STI under two experimental conditions: 1) a modified version of the National Fire Protection Association 1981 Supplementary Voice Communications System Performance Test at a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of -15 (66 dBA) and 2) STI measurements utilizing a range of modified pink noise levels (52.5 dBA (-2 SNR) - 72.5 dBA (+7 SNR)) in 5.0 dBA increments. The PF models (Kimberly Clark 49214 and 3M 1818) had the least effect on SI interference, typically deviating from the STI baseline (no-mask condition) by 3% and 4% STI, respectively. The N95FFR (3M 1870, 3M 1860) had more effect on SI interference, typically differing from baseline by 13% and 17%, respectively for models tested. The EAPR models (Scott Xcel and North 5500) had the most significant impact on SI, differing from baseline by 42% for models tested. This data offers insight into the performance of these apparatus with respect to STI and may serve as a reference point for future respirator design considerations, standards development, testing and certification activities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Elastomers Health Personnel Health Promotion Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Quality Control Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory System Safety

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• Keywords:
  Air Purifying Respirators APR Author Keywords: Healthcare Communication Effectiveness Research Elastomeric Half-mask Respirators Equipment Design Equipment Testing Facemask Face Masks Health Care Health Care Personnel Health Care Workers Health Communications N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators Performance Capability Performance Tests Personal Protective Equipment Quality Standards Respirator Certification Respirator Testing Respiratory Equipment Respiratory Protection Respiratory Protective Equipment Safety Research Sound Speech Intelligibility Speech Transmission Standards Surgical Masks Voice Communication

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• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  13
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048303
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2016 Dec; 13(12):960-968
• Contact Point Address:
  Andrew Palmiero, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), 626 Cochrans Mill Road, B.106, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
• Email:
  gtb5@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d434181176f523ea36861f1fd2c004224824da7c4aa01f50f6fda0c4f48ad332d5d111061a31e85c5ea9ffe79fa73b928bcdaf2192951e613e21730ef5f0ffd3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203082/cdc_203082_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 877.72 KB ]