NIOSH Webinar to Focus on Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirator Use in Healthcare, EMS
On Nov. 18, NIOSH will host a second webinar related to its request for information regarding the use of elastomeric half-mask respirators (EHMRs) in healthcare settings and emergency medical services (EMS) organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Via a Federal Register notice published in September, the agency requests input on a national strategy to inform the purchase, deployment, and use of reusable EHMRs across the United States from the Strategic National Stockpile, or SNS. NIOSH also seeks organizations that are interested in receiving EHMRs with the commitment to provide a user report and those that might want to participate in future agency projects involving EHMRs in healthcare and EMS.
The webinar will provide an overview of EHMRs, summarize the Federal Register notice, and discuss expectations of organizations that wish to participate in this effort. NIOSH hopes to gather the input of hospitals and hospital systems, outpatient care settings, long-term care facilities, dental practices, and first responder organizations, among others.
Individuals who wish to attend the webinar must register online. Comments on the Federal Register notice are due Dec. 14.