OSHA proposes new fit-test protocols
March 1, 2009 less than 1 minute read
OSHA proposes new fit-test protocols
Streamlined protocols proposed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration could make quantitative fit-testing more efficient.
One protocol would reduce the duration of the eight fit-testing exercises from 60 seconds to 30 seconds. A second protocol would eliminate two of the eight fit-testing exercises. The remaining six exercises would have a duration of 40 seconds. The second protocol also would increase the current minimum pass-fail fit-testing criterion from a fit factor of 100 to 200 for half masks and from 500 to 1,000 for full facepieces.
"If adopted, the protocols would not replace existing fit-testing protocols, but instead would be alternatives to them," OSHA said in the Federal Register notice.
(Editor's note: The OSHA Federal Register notice is available at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=21394. Comments are being accepted through March 23.)
Streamlined protocols proposed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration could make quantitative fit-testing more efficient.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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