Guide to PPE for Healthcare Workers Available Online

Publication focuses on respirators

One of the occupational hazards in the healthcare setting is the airborne transmission of certain infectious diseases. The potential of exposure is not limited to physicians, nurses, and support personnel in direct patient care. It extends to those delivering food, cleaning patient rooms, and performing maintenance. Anyone working in areas with patients infected with airborne-transmissible diseases is potentially at risk.

To address these concerns, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an agency within the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has published Respirator Awareness: Your Health May Depend On It, an online guide for employers and employees. Topics include the difference between surgical face masks and respirators and what it means for a respirator to be NIOSH approved.