HETA 95-0031-2601: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, University Hospital; Newark, New Jersey

Details

• Personal Author:
  Decker, john ; Jensen, Paul A. ; Seitz, Teresa A.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from management at the University Hospital, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (SIC-4119), Newark, New Jersey, an evaluation was made of a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system in an ambulance and of two portable HEPA filtration units used in the hospital. Using the supplemental HEPA filtration system cleared particles faster than the ambulance without the supplemental system. Effective air change rates ranged from about 43 to 46 air changes per hour in the HEPA equipped ambulance, and from 26 to 32 in the non-HEPA equipped ambulance. Particle clearance was also improved by the use of the rear vent fan in conjunction with the provision of outside air through the vehicles and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Use of the vent fan with the provision of outside air through the vehicles main HVAC improved aerosol clearance in any ambulance and reduces the potential risk of tuberculosis (TB) transmission. The authors recommend that respiratory protection be used by workers during transport of known or suspected infectious TB patients and that the performance of regular preventive maintenance and leak testing be performed on the HEPA unit.
• Subjects:
  Air Movements Air Pollutants, Occupational Automobiles Bacterial Infections Communicable Diseases Emergencies Emergency Responders Filtration Health Personnel Hospitals Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Tuberculosis Ventilation

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• Keywords:
  Air-filters Air-flow Air-quality-control Ambulance Ambulance Service, Road Bacterial-infections Disease-transmission Emergency-response Emergency Medical Services EMS Hazard-Confirmed Health-care-personnel Health Care HEPA Filtration Hospital-equipment Infection-control Infectious-diseases Motor-vehicles OSHA Region 2 Particulates Personal-protective-equipment Respiratory-system-disorders TB Transport-mechanisms Tuberculosis Ventilation-equipment Ventilation-systems

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA9500312601
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Name as Subject:
  University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey ; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  12 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Blythe, Ellen E.
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00234322
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB97-136956
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 95-0031-2601, 1996 Oct ; :1-10
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1997
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  4119 - Local passenger transportation, not elsewhere classified - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:026aeda568e36e31a861776996ad201b150136123eb5602253b5fc935ee770f889c79e9f183eff4e0ec457a0b61d7d9045aafa2b57d2a0e97c0dd70d888832f7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/86276/cdc_86276_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 237.03 KB ]