Why a Workplace Barrier Face Covering Is a Bad Idea

Details

• Personal Author:
  Nicas M
• Description:
  It has been proposed that enhanced cloth masks (barrier face coverings (BFCs)) be worn by workers as respiratory protection against airborne SARS-CoV-2. This commentary argues that promoting BFC use is a backward step in protecting workers. BFCs cannot meet NIOSH and OSHA respirator performance standards; superior NIOSH-approved respirators are available, and the proposal undermines the current OSHA requirement that only NIOSH-approved respirators be worn on the job. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Barrier Face Coverings Face Masks Infectious Diseases N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators Respirators Respiratory Protection SARS-CoV-2
• ISSN:
  1048-2911
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  191-194
• Volume:
  33
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069746
• Citation:
  New Solut 2024 Feb; 33(4):191-194
• Contact Point Address:
  Mark Nicas, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Room 50 University hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
• Email:
  mnicas@berkeley.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of California, Berkeley
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:69ca1753c18d486cf8ee38584c1b40cd76a4925f0fba88ce76b7d28653b67fa6a217f6a01a341884ee66df31e7b97f4d1d58e4c45f04ef49c59fa82ea27815ef
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208108/cdc_208108_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 211.30 KB ]