Effects of volume, velocity, and composition on the resistance to synthetic blood penetration of N95 filtering facepiece respirators and other head/facial personal protective equipment.

Surgical N95 filtering facepiece respirators (surgical N95 FFRs) are National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95 FFRs) cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for resistance to liquid penetration and flammability. A recent study showed that several N95 FFR models performed as well as surgical N95 FFRs in synthetic blood penetration tests that evaluate resistance to penetration by horizontal projection. This aspect, in addition to the influence of other factors on liquid penetration, are not well studied.

Using trunk posture to monitor heat strain at work.

This study aimed to determine if trunk posture during walking is related to increases in rectal temperature (T). 24 males treadmill walked in one of four conditions (1): 30 min at 3.0 mph and 0% grade, 20 °C and 50% relative humidity (RH), wearing healthcare worker (HCW) PPE; (2): 30 min at 3.

Method for measuring wear on boot outsoles using a 3D laser scanner.

In the mining industry, slips and falls are the second leading cause of non-fatal injuries. Footwear is the primary defence against a slip; consequently, the condition of the footwear outsole is critical to maintaining slip resistance. Currently, there is no published method that can be used to determine when the outsole no longer affords adequate slip protection.

Experimental methods to reduce noise generated by haul trucks and LHDs.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) maintains the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD) where a wide variety of mining-related health and safety research is conducted. Part of this research is devoted to reducing the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among the nation's mining workforce. The need for this research is particularly important, as NIHL is the second most common occupational-related disease among miners.

Review of chamber design requirements for testing of personal protective clothing ensembles.

This review focuses on the physical requirements for conducting ensemble testing and describes the salient issues that organizations involved in the design, test, or certification of personal protective equipment (PPE) and protective clothing ensembles need to consider for strategic planning. Several current and proposed PPE ensemble test practices and standards were identified. The man-in-simulant test (MIST) is the primary procedure used by the military to evaluate clothing ensembles for protection against chemical and biological warfare agents.