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.