Air respirators

APF is known as assigned protection factors. Respirator allows person into area where OEL is exceeded. Extent above OEL is determined by by APF and MUC. MUC stands for maximum use concentration. In more extensive terms, APF means the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is expected to provide to employees when the employer implements a continuing, effective respiratory protection program. MUC is the maximum atmospheric concentration of a hazardous substance from which an employee can be expected to be protected when wearing a respirator, and is determined by the assigned protection factor of the respirator or class of respirators and the exposure limit of the hazardous substance. The MUC usually can be determined mathematically by multiplying the assigned protection factor specified for a respirator by the permissible exposure limit (PEL), short-term exposure limit, ceiling limit, peak limit, or any other exposure limit used for the hazardous substance. (osha.gov)  

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Chemical protective clothing is an essential part of safety in the workplace. Clothing is the last line of defense for protecting the skin, high care must be taken to ensure it provides the protection expected. Penetration is know as when a chemical leaks through seams, pinholes and other imperfections in the material. This differs from permeation. Permeation rate is the rate at which the chemical will move through the material. It is measured in a laboratory and is expressed in units like milligrams per square meter per second. The higher the permeation rate, the faster the chemical will move through the material. Lastly, degradation is a measurement of the physical deterioration of the material due to contact with a chemical. The material may get harder, stiffer, more brittle, softer, weaker, or may swell. The worst example is that the material may actually dissolve in the chemical. (ccohs.ca) 

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There are three different types of respirators that purify air. They are particulate respirators, combination respirators, and gas and vapor respirators. Particulate respirators are filtering face piece's that filter out particles but do not protect against non-particulate hazards such as gases or vapors. They are usually half-face piece's that are tight-fitting, air-purifying and replaceable filters. Gas and vapor respirators are respirators that filter or clean chemical gases and possibly particles out of the air as you breathe. This respirator includes a face piece or mask, and a filter/cartridge. Straps secure the face piece to the head. The cartridge may have a filter to remove particles, charcoal, both, or other parts. When the user inhales, air is pulled through the filter. Lastly, combination respirators are chemical cartridge respirators that can have a combination of chemical cartridges, along with a dust prefilter: this combination provides protection against different kinds of contaminants in the air.

A qualitative fit test is a pass/fail test that relies on the employee's response to a test agent. The OSHA protocols include saccharin, isoamyl acetate (banana oil), Bitrex and irritant smoke. For a saccharin or Bitrex test, an administrator challenges a subject wearing a respirator with a test aerosol. A quantitative fit test measures the adequacy of a respirator's fit by numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator. The OSHA protocols include use of a PortaCount, CNC or CNP test.

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A written hazard assessment is a written document detailing the hazard assessments for a particular task. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that hazard assessments are performed and the certification written and posted. An example could be an employee picking up a piece of metal, the employee could drop it onto his foot. The metal's weight and height could seriously injure the worker’s foot or toes. This would need to be written out with details and instructions. 

 

Noise

Exposure to noise in the workplace can cause serious harm to someone’s health. The most common effect of noise at work is loss of hearing, which first came in attention when coppersmiths were having hearing problems a long time ago.

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A decibel is a unit of measurement used to calculate the intensity of a sound or the power level of an electrical of an electrical signal by comparing it with a given level on a logarithmic scale. 85 decibels or (dB) is the action level where hearing protection is required in the workplace. 90 dB, according to OSHA is the eight-hour average exposure limit. At 100 dB, exposures longer than fifteen minutes are not recommended. At 110 dB, regular exposure of more than one minute is a risk for permanent hearing loss.

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Sound is produced by vibrating objects and reaches the listener's ears as waves in the air or other media. When an object vibrates, it causes slight changes in air pressure. These air pressure changes travel as waves through the air and produce sound. To illustrate,imagine striking a drum surface with a stick. The drum surface vibrates backand forth. As it moves forward, it pushes the air in contact with the surface.This creates a positive (higher) pressure by compressing the air. When thesurface moves in the opposite direction, it creates a negative (lower) pressureby decompressing the air.

There is hearing protection available at workplaces where conditions can become dangerous or threatening. One method is ear plugs. Ear plugs are inserted to block the ear canal and can be pre-molded to fit comfortably. These can reduce 50%-70% from the manufactures labeled NPR, which is the noise reduction rating. Another protection method is earmuffs. Manufacturers provide information about the noise reducing capability of a hearing protector as an NRR (noise reduction rating) number. The NRR ratings are based on noise reduction obtained in laboratory conditions. Earmuffs consist of sound-attenuating material and soft ear cushions that fit around the ear and have hard outer cups. They go around the head like headphones. Earmuffs subtract around 25% of the manufactures labeled NRR. 

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The standard threshold shift, otherwise known as STS, is defined in the occupational noise exposure standard at 29 CFR. In order to get full benefit of hearing protection, tbey must be worn all the time during noisy work. If hearing protectors are removed only for a short duration, the protection is substantially reduced. If one takes off his/her hearing protector for 5 min in a 8-hour shift, the maximum protection will be 20 dB. This is the maximum protection of 5dB. Regular checks should be conducted by employers to ensure that hearing protection is being worn properly and in good condition.

I wasn't able to get too loud of an environment of noise on my app. However i do work at a bar uptown and have experienced extremely loud noise in the workplace almost every time i work. We have loud speakers with nonstop music especially at night. As well as an abundance of people yelling and talking. This could easily impair my hearing and presents a dangerous threat in the workplace. 

Air Sampling

Air sampling is known as capturing the contaminant from a known volume of air, measuring the amount of contaminant captured, and expressing it as a concentration. It often is associated with the industrial work place or places where chemicals are used often or produced. Sampling air is conducted by using devices that measure and evaluate a sample, or multiple samples or the air. Some of the most dangerous hazards that pollute that air are man-made chemical compounds such as gases and vapors.

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It is so important to conduct regular air samples because these potential hazards could harm any person or employee that spends time is said environment. These damages could be immediate or long term. Higher levels of contaminants such as toxic gases can cause direct and sometimes fatal outcomes. Contaminants at lower levels still have a major impact but result in illness and disease that gradually builds up in the body over time. It is imperative that air sampling is conducted regularly even if there are no obvious threats present. Keeping up with air sampling is apart of occupational health and safety standards.

Pump calibration is a way of sampling air in the field. The first step in to assemble the pump by connected the calibrated personal pump with plastic tubing to the collection media. The piece is attached with a holder that clips on and allows it to be attached to someone’s collar in the breathing zone.

Breathing zone sampling is personal because it only measures and evaluates that individual’s exposure to chemicals. They are called breathing zones because it is measured by an individual’s nose and mouth area. This method is the best way to accurately quantify the exact concentration of contaminants in the air that the person is actually breathing and taking into their body. 

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NIOSH method number 2027 is a sampling and analytical method for 6 ketone compounds in workplace air. The volume of air is calculated by multiplying the flow rate through the filter medium by the time in minutes. Calibration of the flow rate is important and should be carried out before and after each sample is taken.

There are multiple ways to measure air samples, but the most common is a battery operated pump. This machine is capable of collecting air through a filter at a constant rate over a period of eight hours. This can take place no matter what type of weather persists. These recommendations are to take a personal basis for an eight hour Time Weighted Average.

Industrial and construction sites are a very high risk for dangerous exposure. All the procedures are necessary to ensure a safe workplace. Without it, the staff may be prone to coming encounter with harmful dust, vapours, or gases. The most noteworthy route of entry is through inhalation into the body. It is vital to stay on top of these regulations to know that employees and other people will remain safe from harmful chemicals. Air sampling protects workers and the environment, but also the practice of taking samples of air can be helpful in determining what kind of protective clothing should be selected for worker safety.

Airborne Hazards

Airborne hazards are contaminants that occur in the gaseous form (gases and vapors) or as aerosols, dusts, sprays, mists, smokes and fumes. Dusts are among the most dangerous because they are often associated with occupational diseases such as lung disease, lead poisoning, cancer, asthma, allergic reactions or irritations, and others. Inhaling airborne toxins such as dust puts people at risk for occupational disease when they are inhaling these things at the work place. It can lead to temporary and permanent diseases as well as death and this is occurring all over the world. Contaminates such as dust can also alter the quality of products in the workplace which may lead to hazards such as fires or explosions and other damage. 

The respiratory tract is divided in three sections and is the entry way of such airborne contaminates. The first is the nasopharynx region which is the head region, including the nose, mouth, pharynx and larynx. The next is the tracheobronchial region which includes the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles. Lastly is the pulmonary region which is made up of the alveoli; the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide through the process of respiration occurs in the alveolar region.The human trachea has a membrane lining that produces a layer of mucus that helps filter waste that an organism breathes in through the air. There is also a small lining of tiny hairs in our lungs called cilia. These tiny hairs act as a filter in our lungs and control the amount of mucus that enters our lungs. The reason why we cough is because the cilia push up the mucus, so not too much enters our lungs. If these hairs are not functioning properly, an organism is at risk of a lower respiratory tract infection. 

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The mucociliary escalator is a major defense and barrier against infection. When organisms that are headed to infect the respiratory tract get trapped in sticky mucus and sent up by this so called mucociliary escalator and then pushed towards the throat. 

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Airborne contaminants can present a significant threat to worker health and safety. Materials present different threats and significant based on what it is and the size of it. Examples of these include mineral dust from extraction, metallic dusts, chemical dust, bulk, pesticides, vegetable dusts, wood, flour, cotton and tea, pollens, moulds and spores. 

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Lung disease can be classified into two different cases. Doctors may label lung conditions as obstructive lung disease or restrictive lung disease. Obstructive lung conditions include things that make it hard to exhale all the air in the  lungs. Restrictive lung conditions effect people in a manner that make it difficult to expand their lungs with air. Symptoms that pertain to these conditions both include shortness of breathe. Increased activity makes it harder to breathe because there is less time for the air to get into the lungs. 

Employers with chemical hazardous chemicals in their workplaces are required to provide labels and safety data sheets for the workers. They also must train them to be able to handle chemicals correctly.