Recommendation 1: Implement and Sustain a Comprehensive National Personal Protective Technology Program

NIOSH should work to ensure the implementation of the 2001 congressional mandate for a comprehensive state-of-the-art federal program focused on personal protective technology. A comprehensive program would build on the current NIOSH PPT Program and would bring unified responsibility and oversight to all PPT-related activity at NIOSH. The National Personal Protective Technology Program should

• Oversee, coordinate, and where appropriate, conduct research across all types of occupational PPT and across all relevant occupations and workplaces;

• Participate in policy development and standards setting across all types of occupational PPT;

• Oversee all PPT certification in order to ensure a minimum uniform standard of protection and wearability. The National Program should collaborate with other relevant government agencies, private-sector organizations, and not-for-profit organizations to conduct an assessment of the certification mechanisms needed to ensure the efficacy of all types of PPT; and

• Promote the development, standards setting, and certification of effectively integrated PPT components and ensembles in which multiple types of PPT (e.g., eye protection, hearing protection, respirators) can be effectively and seamlessly worn together.