National Technical Reports Library

The National Technical Information Service acquires, indexes, abstracts, and archives the largest collection of U.S. government-sponsored technical reports in existence. The NTRL offers online, free and open access to these authenticated government technical reports. Technical reports and documents in its repository may be available online for free either from the issuing federal agency, the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s Federal Digital System website, or through search engines.

Details

Role of Workplace Performance Testing in the Certification of Respirators: Report and Recommendations (May 27, 1991).

PB92133289

Publication Date	1991
Personal Author	Hinds, W. C.
Page Count	10
Abstract	The role of workplace testing of respirators as a condition of certification for the Federally mandated NIOSH Respiratory Protective Equipment Certification Program was discussed. An emphasis was placed on the technical feasibility and appropriateness from a scientific standpoint. According to the author, field performance testing is not worth the effort required because of the great experimental difficulties required to obtain accurate and meaningful field results and the high variability and nonnormality of measured performance. Standardized simulated workplace testing, conducted in a laboratory, should be used for more complex types of respiratory protective systems. Workplace efficacy testing may be appropriate for respiratory protection systems that are more complex and that may exhibit unexpected behavior in certain use situations. The development of a consumer information database identifying problems in the field use of all types of respirators, but particularly complex systems, would be useful to manufacturers, regulators, users, and researchers. Consideration should be given to the use of computer models to evaluate respirator performance under a wide variety of exposure conditions.
Keywords	Occupational safety and health Respirators Performance standards Protective equipment Toxic substances Air pollution Working conditions Field tests Computerized simulation Experimental design Occupational exposure Human factors engineering NIOSH Protective Equipment Certification Program
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	57U - Public Health & Industrial Medicine 95D - Human Factors Engineering 68G - Environmental Health & Safety 68A - Air Pollution & Control
Corporate Authors	California Univ., Los Angeles. School of Public Health.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	199208

Role of Workplace Performance Testing in the Certification of Respirators: Report and Recommendations (May 27, 1991).

Role of Workplace Performance Testing in the Certification of Respirators: Report and Recommendations (May 27, 1991).
PB92133289

Publication Date	1991
Personal Author	Hinds, W. C.
Page Count	10
Abstract	The role of workplace testing of respirators as a condition of certification for the Federally mandated NIOSH Respiratory Protective Equipment Certification Program was discussed. An emphasis was placed on the technical feasibility and appropriateness from a scientific standpoint. According to the author, field performance testing is not worth the effort required because of the great experimental difficulties required to obtain accurate and meaningful field results and the high variability and nonnormality of measured performance. Standardized simulated workplace testing, conducted in a laboratory, should be used for more complex types of respiratory protective systems. Workplace efficacy testing may be appropriate for respiratory protection systems that are more complex and that may exhibit unexpected behavior in certain use situations. The development of a consumer information database identifying problems in the field use of all types of respirators, but particularly complex systems, would be useful to manufacturers, regulators, users, and researchers. Consideration should be given to the use of computer models to evaluate respirator performance under a wide variety of exposure conditions.
Keywords	Occupational safety and health Respirators Performance standards Protective equipment Toxic substances Air pollution Working conditions Field tests Computerized simulation Experimental design Occupational exposure Human factors engineering NIOSH Protective Equipment Certification Program
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	57U - Public Health & Industrial Medicine 95D - Human Factors Engineering 68G - Environmental Health & Safety 68A - Air Pollution & Control
Corporate Authors	California Univ., Los Angeles. School of Public Health.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	199208