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Respiratory Protection for the Public and Workers without Respiratory Protection Programs at their Workplaces

Completed

The public’s interest in respiratory protection is growing with the COVID-19 pandemic and recent wildfires in the United States, but existing regulatory processes for respiratory protective devices are limited to occupational use. Additionally, the respiratory protection needs of many workers operating in workplaces without respiratory protection programs are not being met. To address these gaps, a National Academies committee will consider the oversight and regulatory processes needed to ensure the public and such workers have access to effective respiratory protective devices and guidance on their use to mitigate exposures to inhalation hazards—including those arising during disasters and public health emergencies.

Description

An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a study to examine and consider processes for ensuring effective and appropriate respiratory protection for individuals facing inhalation hazards outside of workplaces with known respiratory hazards subject to requirements for respiratory protection programs. These inhalation hazards would include those associated with severe air pollution, wildfires, pandemics such as COVID-19, and other disasters and public health emergencies. Regulatory approaches to meeting respiratory protection needs will be explored for a broad range of workers who may need to use respiratory protective devices in the absence of a respiratory protection program, as well as for the general public, including vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or cardiovascular disease.

Specifically, the committee will:
1) determine the need for guidance on respiratory protection for the general public (including children and adults) and workers facing inhalation hazards outside of workplaces with known respiratory hazards subject to requirements for respiratory protection programs, including during disasters and public health emergencies. This should be based on an assessment of existing knowledge regarding the necessary factors (e.g., fit, filtration, fabric, airflow, leakage, etc.) to ensure respiratory protection is effective for its intended use (i.e., source control and/or protection) across different hazard scenarios and the identification of gaps in existing standards/guidance;
2) describe current and potential options for oversight and approval of respirators for these populations (i.e., workers who may need to use respiratory protective devices in the absence of a respiratory protection program and the general public); and
3) make recommendations for a framework of responsibilities and authorities, including those of federal agencies, to provide a unified and authoritative source of information and effective oversight in the development, approval, and use of respirators, including conformity assessment processes to meet the needs of these populations. As needed, the committee may consider recommendations to Congress regarding the implementation of the framework and the types of resources necessary for doing so.

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Committee Membership Roster Comments

The committee membership roster was changed on October 16, 2020, to add Dr. John Volckens to the committee. The committee membership roster was changed on January 8, 2021, to add Dr. Karen Emmons to the committee. On August 24, 2021, disclosures were added to the biographical information for five committee members: Stephanie Holm, Howard Cohen, Bruce Lippy, James Johnson, and Dan Shipp.

Sponsors

CDC Foundation

Department of State

Environmental Protection Agency

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Staff

Autumn Downey

Lead

ADowney@nas.edu

Michael Berrios

MBerrios@nas.edu

Olivia Yost

OYost@nas.edu

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