NPPTL Updates: Miners Reminded to Use Carry Case for CCER; New User Notices Posted
The NIOSH Personal Protective Technologies Laboratory (NPPTL) has published a notice concerning use of the Ocenco Inc. M-20.3 Closed-Circuit Escape Respirator (CCER). According to NPPTL, some underground coal miners are not using the approved carry case for these devices. Ocenco reminds miners that the CCER must be contained at all times in the carry case provided at time of purchase to protect it from damage. Additional information, including relevant excerpts from the user manual for the device, is available from NPPTL.
Other recent updates from NPPTL include the following:
O&M Halyard Inc. published a notice stating that users can disregard previous communications recommending that a face shield be worn in combination with certain surgical N95 respirators manufactured by the company. More information, including the model numbers of the affected respirators, is available from the company website.
Qualified individuals in the fields of personal protective equipment, occupational health and safety, industrial hygiene, exposure assessment, and others are needed to serve as speakers and discussants at a two-day virtual workshop on reusable healthcare textiles for PPE. The workshop, which is sponsored by NPPTL and is being organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, will explore the potential benefits of reusable healthcare textiles and the feasibility of integrating them into healthcare operations. More information is available on the NAS website.
An update issued by Airboss Defense Group (ADG) regarding certain FlexAir powered air-purifying respirators manufactured by the company explains that a premature low airflow alarm may be triggered when the units are used at high altitudes. ADG states that these respirators should not be used at altitudes above 4,000 feet. More information, including the approval numbers of the affected units, is available from ADG (PDF).
Respirator user notices are collected on the NPPTL website. All NIOSH-approved devices are recorded in the agency’s certified equipment list, which has recently been reformatted to allow quick searches of respirators of current interest.