Certifying Personal Protective Technologies Improving Worker Safety (2011) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 15-32
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 15... ...
Personal protective technologies, including respirators, gloves, protective clothing, protective eyewear, and hearing protection, are used by workers in many types of worksites. An estimated 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces in the United States (OSHA, 2010)
|
From page 16... ...
The committee's task did not focus on respirator certification because that is a well-established process codified in federal regulations and conducted by the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL)
|
From page 17... ...
BOX 1-1 Committee on the Certification of Personal Protective Technologies Statement of Task The Institute of Medicine (IOM) will convene an expert committee to assess the certification*
|
From page 18... ...
For PPT products such as respirators, testing to ensure the proper fit (i.e., fit testing) is a critical element of ensuring worker safety and is a required component of the comprehensive respirator protection programs required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
|
From page 19... ...
Conformity assessment for products in the marketplace is focused on product effectiveness -- verifying and ensuring that a product meets specific criteria for use in workplaces and other locations. To make this happen, conformity assessment involves the following components: • Standards -- A prerequisite to conformity assessment, well defined criteria must be in place so that there is a measure against which to assess the product.
|
From page 20... ...
Examples include hazard identification and exposure assessment in specific work environments. The second public health function, policy development, is the response crafted to address threats to safety and health identified in the assessment stage.
|
From page 21... ...
Conformity assessment provides benefits to any party encountering a product throughout its life cycle, from the manufacturer who designs and builds the product, to the consumer comparing features of the product to make a decision to purchase, and to the regulator who must assess claims about product design or performance. Manufacturers may gain valuable quality control feedback by having their products assessed for conformity to performance standards, which can enable consistency in maintaining product effectiveness.
|
From page 22... ...
This process also provides the platform from which to enforce health, safety, and environmental regulations pertaining to the product performance and manufacture. Benefits to Worker Safety and Health Although standards may be an important communication tool in the marketplace, providing a common language to discuss a product, in the public health arena demonstrating a product's conformity to a standard may be the regulatory "floor" on which a minimum level of protection from hazardous work is built.
|
From page 23... ...
. Not only does NIOSH respirator certification pertain to the original selection and purchase of new equipment, but it also addresses the repair and maintenance of respirator equipment, according to OSHA (1998)
|
From page 24... ...
Color coding and labeling also allow fellow employees, supervisors, and the respirator program administrator to readily determine that the appropriate filters are being used by the em ployee. Cartridges that are appropriate for one operation may be inappropriate for another, and color coding and labeling allow respirator users with inappropriate filters to be identified in the workplace and potential respirato ry hazards to be avoided.
|
From page 25... ...
. BOX 1-2 Eye Protection for Ice Hockey Players Eye Injuries The progression of conformity assessment efforts is illustrated in the history of eye guards and face protection in ice hockey.
|
From page 26... ...
. In the United States, amateur ice hockey equipment is certified by the Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC)
|
From page 27... ...
. Additionally, a competitive market can motivate manufacturers to ensure that their product line meets the required conformity assessment procedures and can therefore be marketed with the relevant certification mark or label.
|
From page 28... ...
The Committee encourages CDC [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] to organize and implement a national personal protective equipment laboratory.
|
From page 29... ...
has federal regulatory authority to provide manufacturers with the approval or clearance to market personal protective devices used in health care. NIST, within the Department of Commerce, is designated to coordinate and assist with standards and conformity assessment efforts throughout the government.
|
From page 30... ...
2008. The Personal Protective Technology Program at NIOSH.
|
From page 31... ...
2008. Personal protective equipment in the U.S.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.