NIOSH Webinar to Discuss Disinfection Study on EHMRs in Healthcare

A webinar to be hosted by NIOSH on July 11 will focus on the findings of a study that aimed to determine the efficacy of common hospital disinfectants on elastomeric half mask respirators. In evaluating EHMRs in healthcare delivery settings, researchers also assessed and compared different disinfection methods to determine best practices. According to NIOSH, these findings will be used in future research on incorporating EHMRs into routine healthcare delivery and help researchers better understand their feasibility for patient care. The study was contracted and completed by Emory University and University of Texas.

Individuals scheduled to speak during the webinar include environmental microbiologist Lisa Casanova, PhD, of the Georgia State University School of Public Health, and Lisa Pompeii, PhD, who is a professor at the University of Texas and the director of patient services research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Casanova’s research focuses on topics such as occupational health and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and transmission of viruses in the built environment. Pompeii has led studies focused on OSHA’s respiratory protection standard as well as on the use of elastomeric respirators in healthcare.

The one-hour webinar will begin at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11. Further details are available from the website of NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory.