NIOSH Updates Tool That Can Help IHs Set Cartridge Change-Out Schedules

NIOSH recently released an updated version of its MultiVapor application to resolve errors that users were experiencing due to a missing file. The new version also addresses minor typographical errors. MultiVapor is a free tool intended to help industrial hygienists and others estimate breakthrough times and service life of air-purifying respirator cartridges that remove toxic organic vapors from breathed air. NIOSH describes a breakthrough time as “the time following the first and continuous use of a cartridge after which the user of the cartridge could be exposed to a selected concentration of a harmful vapor.” MultiVapor can also help users set cartridge change-out schedules, but NIOSH stresses that the tool is not a substitute for professional judgment or regulatory requirements.

The MultiVapor computer software is designed for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows operating systems. Its library includes more than 750 compounds. Instructions for installing the MultiVapor application as well as video and PDF tutorials are available from the NIOSH website.