Of all personal protective equipment available for the health and safety of workers, respiratory protection may be the most commonly used. It is also one of the most difficult to administer properly. Improper wearing of respirators can have serious consequences. Of 482,000 reported occupational illnesses in 1996, nearly 22,000 of these were attributed to respiratory conditions as a result of inhalation of toxic agents. Providing effective respiratory safety training has generally proven to be challenging, since the protection a respirator provides is dependent on how well the respirator fits the worker's face. Improper donning can lead to serious health consequences and may even be fatal. Training methods are effective if they facilitate workers' progress towards health promoting goals. In this case, proper respirator donning ability is the final exam in determining training method effectiveness. The potential benefit of improving worker health and a review of the OSHA respiratory protection regulations revealed a need for additional investigation about effective respiratory safety training techniques. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of three different training methods (commercial videotape, manufacturer package instructions and a systematic interactive multimedia method). The experiment was divided into two parts. In part one, each training method was examined for its' ability to enable subjects to provide safety information and to identify risks associated with respiratory hazards. Each training technique was also evaluated as function of subject education level, age and gender differences. In terms of safety knowledge and risk perception, results indicated that the systematic interactive multimedia technique was the most effective at training OSHA recommended respiratory safety knowledge, and causing a significant difference between risk perception ratings of worksite conditions determined from a pre- and post- training questionnaire. The systematic interactive multimedia technique incorporated a systematically designed multimedia program with a one-on-one modeled respirator donning technique. Neither manufacturer provided package instructions nor the commercial videotape was significant for safety knowledge or risk perception. Part two of the experiment was the final exam in terms of training effectiveness, where subject ability to achieve passing Quantitative Fit Testing (QFT) after donning half- and full- facepiece negative pressure respirators was evaluated. Training methods were assessed in terms of donning instructions. Additional effects evaluated were respirator presentation order, age, education level and gender differences. Evaluation studies inherently have limitations that affect the interpretation of effects. Quantitative fit testing of respirator masks used in this study could only be conducted on 52 of 72 study participants. Eleven females and nine males were eliminated and were scored as missing values in QFT data analysis due to the constraint imposed by the fact that no available half-facepiece or full-facepiece masks could fit/seal their face shapes. Non-parametric testing indicated the commercial videotape and manufacturers' package instructions were more effective at training subjects to pass half-face respirator quantitative fit testing than full-face respirators. No significant presentation order, age, education level or gender effects were shown. Subjects who could not be tested were petite females and obese males. This finding suggests that a need for additional mask sizes (e.g. extra-small, extra-large) by manufacturers was indicated to reduce the need for custom made to fit masks. In addition, manufacturer's of negative pressure respirators need to be aware of the large number of QFT failures encountered in this study, as well as their causes to improve design. Additional information was obtained in the course of analyzing QFT data. First, a large number of subjects failed quantitative fit testing due to their inability to properly tighten headstraps. All training methods were evaluated for effectiveness in ability to properly convey headstrap tightening. Based on QFT pass/fail results, the systematic interactive multimedia training was shown to be more effective at training headstrap tightening for full-facepiece than half-facepiece respirators, as it resulted in the least number of QFT failures due to improper headstrap tightening. No method was superior to the others at training half-facepiece mask headstrap tightening. / Master of Science

No description available.

Várias etapas dos processos de mineração geram quantidades significativas de materiais particulados, também chamados de aerodispersóides que, dependendo de suas características químicas e físicas, são importantes causadores de doenças ocupacionais denominadas pneumoconioses. Para proteger os trabalhadores desses ambientes, algumas medidas de controle podem ser adotadas. Dentre elas, a medida mais comum é através da utilização de respiradores aprovados. Neste trabalho é apresentada uma análise crítica dos procedimentos de seleção de respiradores para particulados estabelecidos no documento intitulado Programa de Proteção Respiratória (PPR) e proposta a adoção de outros critérios técnicos importantes para trabalhadores de ambientes de mineração. Através do levantamento bibliográfico em acervos nacionais e internacionais, regulamentações vigentes, coleta de dados em minerações e experiência profissional da autora foi possível situar o ambiente de mineração em relação à presença de materiais particulados, analisar a lógica de seleção relacionada com os requisitos legais vigentes no Brasil e identificar os respiradores mais comumente empregados nos ambientes de mineração. Como resultado deste trabalho foi possível discutir sobre o nível de proteção respiratória a que os trabalhadores de minerações brasileiras estão sujeitos e sugerir o uso de tipos de respiradores para algumas situações de exposição. / Significant amounts of particulate matter, also called aerosols, are generated in many steps of mining and depending on its chemical and physical characteristics they are important agents that causes occupational diseases, named pneumoconioses. In order to protect the workers of this environment, some controls can be adopted. Among them, the most common control is the use of approved respirators. In this work is presented a critical analysis of particulate respirators selection procedures that are established at Respiratory Protection Program document and indicated the adoption of other important technical criteria for mining workers. Through the national and international bibliographic information, current regulations, data collection in mining industries and author professional expertise it was possible creating a mining workplace overview related to the presence of particulate matter, analyzing the respirator selection logic considering the Brazilian legal requirements and identifying the most common respirators applied at mining workplace. As a result of this work it was possible to discuss about the respiratory protection level that Brazilian mining workers are subjected and to suggest the use of respirators in some exposure situation.

Várias etapas dos processos de mineração geram quantidades significativas de materiais particulados, também chamados de aerodispersóides que, dependendo de suas características químicas e físicas, são importantes causadores de doenças ocupacionais denominadas pneumoconioses. Para proteger os trabalhadores desses ambientes, algumas medidas de controle podem ser adotadas. Dentre elas, a medida mais comum é através da utilização de respiradores aprovados. Neste trabalho é apresentada uma análise crítica dos procedimentos de seleção de respiradores para particulados estabelecidos no documento intitulado Programa de Proteção Respiratória (PPR) e proposta a adoção de outros critérios técnicos importantes para trabalhadores de ambientes de mineração. Através do levantamento bibliográfico em acervos nacionais e internacionais, regulamentações vigentes, coleta de dados em minerações e experiência profissional da autora foi possível situar o ambiente de mineração em relação à presença de materiais particulados, analisar a lógica de seleção relacionada com os requisitos legais vigentes no Brasil e identificar os respiradores mais comumente empregados nos ambientes de mineração. Como resultado deste trabalho foi possível discutir sobre o nível de proteção respiratória a que os trabalhadores de minerações brasileiras estão sujeitos e sugerir o uso de tipos de respiradores para algumas situações de exposição. / Significant amounts of particulate matter, also called aerosols, are generated in many steps of mining and depending on its chemical and physical characteristics they are important agents that causes occupational diseases, named pneumoconioses. In order to protect the workers of this environment, some controls can be adopted. Among them, the most common control is the use of approved respirators. In this work is presented a critical analysis of particulate respirators selection procedures that are established at Respiratory Protection Program document and indicated the adoption of other important technical criteria for mining workers. Through the national and international bibliographic information, current regulations, data collection in mining industries and author professional expertise it was possible creating a mining workplace overview related to the presence of particulate matter, analyzing the respirator selection logic considering the Brazilian legal requirements and identifying the most common respirators applied at mining workplace. As a result of this work it was possible to discuss about the respiratory protection level that Brazilian mining workers are subjected and to suggest the use of respirators in some exposure situation.

No description available.

La protection des salariés travaillant dans une atmosphère chargée en composés organiques volatils (COV) peut être assurée par l’utilisation d’une cartouche filtrante en charbon actif. Doté d’une structure microporeuse, le charbon actif possède une très haute surface spécifique favorable à la rétention de constituants toxiques par des phénomènes d’adsorption. Prévoir le temps de fonctionnement d’un appareil de protection respiratoire constitue un des objectifs de l’Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité. Mondialement utilisé par les organismes préventeurs, le modèle dynamique de Wheeler Jonas muni d’un modèle d’équilibre adéquat fournit des temps de claquage de cartouches exposées à un débit constant d’air sec pollué par un COV. Même si ce modèle a subi des améliorations ces dernières années, il ne permet pas de décrire correctement le comportement des cartouches en présence de copolluant ou d’humidité. Dans le présent travail, un modèle numérique permet la description de l’adsorption dynamique des COV seuls et en mélange sur un lit fixe de charbon actif. L’adsorption dynamique de l’eau a également été étudiée et modélisée. Cette étude particulière nous a permis de comprendre l’influence de l’eau sur la performance de la cartouche respiratoire. De nombreux fronts de percée ont été réalisés afin d’acquérir des informations indispensables à la description de l’équilibre d’adsorption et du transfert de matière en milieu poreux. Ces expériences ont permis d’implémenter des données pour la modélisation de l’adsorption dynamique multiconstituante. Cette dernière inclut l’adsorption binaire COV-COV et l’adsorption d’un COV en présence d’eau. Le travail effectué a permis de proposer des solutions adaptées à la complexité du sujet / Activated carbon is the sorbent used in respirator cartridges to purify breathing air by adsorbing organic vapors. Owing to an important microporous structure, the activated charcoal features a high specific area efficient to capture toxic compounds by adsorption. Predicting service life time of respirator cartridges to protect users working in a polluted atmosphere is a mission of the Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité. The Wheeler-Jonas approach, provided with a suitable equilibrium model, is a worldwide used equation to get service life times of respirator cartridges exposed to a constant flow of dry air polluted by a single volatile organic compound (VOC). While this model has been improved in recent years, it does not adequately describe the behavior of the cartridges in the presence of moisture or copolluant. The present study aims to build a numerical model to describe dynamic adsorption of single volatile organic compounds and mixtures with or without relative humidity in the air. Single water vapor adsorption has been modeled on a coaled fixed-bed, it provides a useful description of water adsorption on activated carbon and the impact of water on the service life time of a respirator cartridge. Numerous experiments have been realized to get equilibrium data of single VOCs and mass transfer constants to describe diffusion of adsorbates through micropores. Indeed, these data have been implemented in the model to describe adsorption of mixtures. Additional experiments have been realized to study coadsorption of organic vapors and dynamic adsorption of a single VOC in presence of humidity. The results are compared with simulations to appreciate the pertinence of the model. The present work provides solutions tailored to the complexity of the subject

No description available.

Ce travail de recherche traite de l’optimisation et de la modélisation de nanofibres obtenues par filage électrostatique pour des applications techniques en tant que, a) cellules résistives pour génération de chaleur et b) couche ultra filtrante pour système de protection respiratoire. Afin d’intégrer ces matériaux nanofibreux aux applications visées, deux procédés de production ont été mis en oeuvre, à savoir mono-aiguille et multijets. Une étude statistique a été réalisée pour modéliser et optimiser les non-tissés de nanofibres pour des productions à échelle laboratoire et semi-industrielle. L’outil statistique c’est révélé pertinent pour anticiper la morphologie des matériaux produits et assurer une homogénéité optimale. Les non-tissés présentant les caractéristiques morphologiques souhaitées ont été sélectionnés, testés, et les résultats ont révélé leur fort potentiel pour les champs applicatifs visés. Ces travaux valident deux pistes de recherche qui déboucheraient sur une intégration concrète de ces matériaux innovants. / Optimization and modelling of electrospun nanofibrous nonwovens and their technical applications, i-e heat generation and respiratory protection, were studied in this work. For utilization in these applications, nanowebs were statistically modelled and optimized using different electrospinning techniques i-e needle and needleless setups based on significance of these techniques for lab and bulk scale production of nanowebs. Moreover, quantitative impact of different electrospinning parameters was also observed. Statistical analysis was found to be a useful tool for study of electrospinning process and production of nanowebs with minimum defects. The optimized nanowebs were used for selected applications and based on results it was concluded that they can be a potential material for both, heat generation and respiratory protection. These observations are expected to initiate more focused studies in both the fields.

PhD (Health Sciences) / Department of Advanced Nursing Science