Enhanced Respiratory Protection Offered by a Strapless Filtering Facepiece Respirator

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cho K ; Grinshpun S ; McKay R ; Reponen T
• Description:
  Objective: Aerosol particles penetrate into a filtering facepiece particulate respirator (FFPR) through the filter media and faceseal leaks. It has been shown for conventional FFPRs that the latter often represents the primary penetration pathway. To reduce face seal leakage, some manufacturers of FFPRs have developed new respirator designs. The objective of this study was to evaluate a strapless FFPR with a medical-grade adhesive, which aims at establishing a better seal between the respirator periphery and the wearer's face. Methods: A respirator developed by Wein Products Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) was tested in a laboratory facility with respect to its filter collection efficiency for different particle sizes (0.04 to 1 mkm) and face velocities corresponding to inhalation flow rates up to 85 L/min. Field testing was also conducted on 20 human subjects (10 subjects representing general population and 10 subjects recruited from the Cincinnati Fire Department) to evaluate respirator fit for novice and experienced users. Results: The filter collection efficiency was dependent on the particle size and face velocity; it was mostly below 0.1%. Fit testing revealed overall fit factors ranging approximately from 240 to 7,100, with the geometric mean values of approximately 2,300 and 2,050 for the general population and firefighters, respectively. No statistical difference was identified between the two subject groups (t-test: p>0.05). Additional subjects are being recruited to increase the test statistical power and further investigate the respirator performance for different users. Conclusions: Fit factors for the strapless FFPR utilizing peripheral adhesive were significantly greater than levels typically observed for conventional FFPRs. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety
• Keywords:
  Aerosol Particles Fit Testing Particle Size Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators Respirator Testing
• Publisher:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  36-37
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055120
• Citation:
  AIHce 2011: American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 14-19, 2011, Portland, Oregon. Falls Church, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2011 May; :36-37
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010601
• Source Full Name:
  AIHce 2011: American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 14-19, 2011, Portland, Oregon
• End Date:
  20110731
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e4d470409cba71da77463bf96be25c5b90299c5f67fd788146e062fc59ad10a230e55573c1ce75ffbc460512cd86fbee2830cb9e58a39c6dd94300c4cef95cc2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217487/cdc_217487_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 230.50 KB ]