The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will test and certify escape respirators utilized in the workplace. The respirators are designed to protect workers from breathing harmful gases, vapors, fumes and dusts for the limited amount of time necessary to reach fresh air. NIOSH will approve respirators that pass the full range of tests, allowing manufacturers to label approved products.

ASSE to Develop Mold Standard for Worker Protection

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) will develop a standard aimed at protecting workers involved in mold remediation. The standard will include minimum requirements and recommended procedures for minimizing employee exposure to mold. The proposed standard will not establish an exposure level or action level for identification purposes or trigger remediation activities.

ASSE petitioned the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to be the secretariat of a canvass standard initiative, Z690.

OSHA Withdraws TB Proposal, Adds More Protection

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced it is extending the same high level of respiratory protection to workers exposed to tuberculosis (TB) currently provided to workers throughout general industry. This enhancement comes on the heels of OSHA’s decision to withdraw its 1997 TB proposal.

The agency will begin applying the general industry respiratory protection standard for protection against the disease. Requirements include updating the facility’s respirator program, complying with amended medical evaluation requirements, annual fit testing of respirators, and some training and recordkeeping provisions. Enforcement of the new requirements will be phased in to allow employers to come into compliance.




POSTED ON: 1/1/2004