A Pilot Study of Minimum Operational Flow for Loose-Fitting Powered Air-Purifying Respirators Used in Healthcare Cleaning Services

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bergman MS ; Guffey S ; He X ; Nimbarte AD ; Zhu J ; Zhuang Z
• Description:
  The objective of this pilot study was to determine the minimum operational flow for loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) used in healthcare cleaning services. An innovative respiratory flow recording device was worn by nine healthcare workers to obtain the minute volume (MV, L/min), mean inhalation flow (MIF, L/min), and peak inhalation flow (PIF, L/min) while performing "isolation unit work" (cleaning and disinfecting) of a patient room within 30 min. The MV and PIF were compared with the theoretical values obtained from an empirical formula. The correlations of MV, MIF, and PIF with subjects' age, weight, height, body surface area (ADu), and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed. The average MV, MIF, and PIF were 33, 74, and 107 L/min, with maximal airflow rates of 41, 97, and 145 L/min, respectively, which are all below the current 170 L/min minimum operational flow for NIOSH certified loose-fitting PAPRs. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Movements Communicable Diseases Disinfectants Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Health Personnel Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory System Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Air Flow Airway Resistance Author Keywords: Healthcare Workers BMI Body Mass Index Body Measurements Body Temperature Breathing Cleaning Compounds Custodians Equipment Operation Fit Testing Health Care Facilities Health Care Workers Infectious Agents Infectious Diseases Inhalation Minimum Operational Flow Minute Volume N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators PAPR Peak Inhalation Flow Personal Protective Equipment Powered Air-purifying Respirators Powered Air Purifying Respirator PPE Recording Systems Respirators Respirator Selection Respiratory Equipment Respiratory Flow SARS Services Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Workplace Studies

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• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant ; Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  440-445
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055823
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2019 Jul; 16(7):440-445
• Contact Point Address:
  Xinjian He, Department of Industrial & Management Systems Engineering, West Virginia University, 401 Evansdale Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506
• Email:
  xinjian.he@mail.wvu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Performing Organization:
  West Virginia University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7258f879d6603dc2b85cb5a60ae518495af7776cfd9367edc95619dc29373d8f33576fb26aa9c0bd9e8a144535afb4645f9219cdf44d1c05cfafc2c495ac9ea7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213591/cdc_213591_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.03 MB ]