OSHA seeks comments on draft respirator supply guidance
Hospital Safety Connection, May 14, 2008
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OSHA released an interesting draft guidance on stockpiling respirators and facemasks during an influenza pandemic.
Among the highlights of the draft guidance:
- OSHA estimates that 33% of hospital employees will have very high or high exposure risks during a pandemic, and as a result facilities will need to provide four N-95 respirators per employee per work shift. OSHA estimates a typical hospital employee facing exposure will need 480 N-95s over the course of a community pandemic.
- Strictly from the perspective of purchasing costs, it may be cheaper to equip workers with reusable elastomeric respirators rather than N-95s or powered air-purifying respirators. Elastomeric respirators have flexible, rubber-like facepieces with either permanent or removable filter cartridges.
- Hospitals should stock two facemasks per day for each inpatient who shows flu symptoms during a pandemic, and three facemasks per day for each essential visitor (e.g., parents of pediatric patients).
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