Wednesday, May 27, 2015

NIOSH Releases Hospital Respiratory Protection Toolkit

# 10,101


This week's MERS infection of a doctor in South Korea serves as another reminder that HCWs are at particular risk of ATDs (Aerosol Transmissible Diseases) and of the importance of always taking the proper precautions around potentially contagious patients.


Today NIOSH (National Institute Of Safety & Health) has released three new resources for HCWs, designed to reduce their risks of infection.  


May 2015
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2015-117

Resources for Respirator Program Administrators

This toolkit was developed to assist hospitals in developing and implementing effective respiratory protection programs, with an emphasis on preventing the transmission of aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs) to healthcare personnel.
Healthcare personnel are paid and unpaid persons who provide patient care in a healthcare setting or support the delivery of healthcare by providing clerical, dietary, housekeeping, engineering, security, or maintenance services. Healthcare personnel may potentially be exposed to ATD pathogens. Aerosols are particles or droplets suspended in air. ATDs are diseases transmitted when infectious agents, which are suspended or present in particles or droplets, contact the mucous membranes or are inhaled.