ISRP 2000 abstract
| Presenter/author | Title | Abstract |
| Dower, J. M.
Senior research industrial hygienist, NIOSH, Div. of Resp. Disease Studies Metzler, R. W. Branch Chief, NIOSH, Div. of Resp. Disease Studies, and ISRP President
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NIOSH Respirator Standards Development Project for Certification of Respirators to Protect Emergency Responders from Terrorist Threats | Government and military
agencies worldwide are addressing respiratory protection for emergency
response personnel, civilians, and soldiers against chemical and
biological (C/B) agents used for terrorism. Numerous technical issues
will be investigated related to employing traditional industrial
respirators against C/B agents. In the USA, partnerships have been
forged among the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the National Fire
Protection Association, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Army Soldier and
Biological Chemical Command to jointly address respiratory protection
issues and establish appropriate respirator certification standards. The
focus of this effort is to develop appropriate performance, quality and
reliability standards and test methods for respirator technologies used
to protect emergency responders against chemical and biological agents
and certain toxic industrial materials. Both air-purifying and
supplied-air respirators are expected to be employed for respiratory
protection against these agents. Issues associated with adapting
respirators approved for hazardous industrial and mining environment
protections to responder protection from terrorism agents will be
discussed. This information is of interest to those involved in
providing C/B respiratory protection equipment and comprehensive
respiratory protection programs to protect response workers against C/B
terrorist threats.
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