Personal respiratory protection system

Nickel carbonyl should be used in totally enclosed systems or under good local exhaust. Plants and laboratories where nickel carbonyl is used should make use of air-monitoring devices, alarms should be present in case of accidental leakage, and appropriate personal respiratory protective devices should be readily available for emergency uses. Monitoring of urinary nickel levels is useful to help determine the severity of exposure and identify appropriate treatment measures. Some large-scale users of nickel carbonyl maintain a supply of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, or Antabuse, a therapeutic agent, on hand for use in case of overexposure. 

All respiratory protective systems should be stored in clean, dry conditions but be readily accessible. They should be inspected and cleaned regularly, with particular attention to facepiece seals, nonreturn valves, harnesses etc. Issue on a personal basis is essential for regular use otherwise the equipment should be returned to a central position. Records are required of location, date of issue, estimated duration of use of canisters etc. 

Developmental objectives in personal respiratory protection equipment generally encompass factors such as personal comfort, breathing resistance, mask weight, and the ability to provide protection from new agents. Present equipment has met a number of these objectives but much remains to be done, especially in the area of new and improved chemical-resistant materials, manufacturing methods, and scratch-resistant lenses. All of these items must be integrated into a new, reliable, less cumbersome, and less degrading system. 

It should be noted that the primary purpose of the ventilation systems described for abrasive blasting rooms and hospital isolation rooms is to prevent or minimize exposure to hazardous substances in those persons working outside the blasting or isolation room. The ventilation system may also reduce exposure for workers inside these rooms, but often the reduction is not sufficient to eliminate the need for respiratory protection. 

With the exception of smallpox virus and to a lesser extent plague bacteria, person-to-person transmission of these diseases rarely occurs if "universal precautions" are maintained (e.g., gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection). The majority of infected patients can be cared for without specialized isolation rooms or specialized ventilation systems. Cohort nursing with the usual practice of universal precautions will provide adequate protection. The hemorrhagic virus infections may be transmissible via a respirable aerosol of blood— respiratory protection of workers caring for these patients is required. 

Adequate general ventilation, provision of appropriate containment equipment (fume hoods, safety cabinets, or localized exhaust systems), procedural controls, or use of personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, and protective gloves, clothing, and eye protection are all part of a possible program to reduce exposures. 

Review and follow all safety rules and procedures, including those relating to personal protective equipment hazard communication respiratory protection permit system... 

---