Personal Protective Equipment

Assigned Protection Factor, or APF, means the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is expected to provide to employees when the employer implements a continuing effective respiratory protection program. Maximum Use Concentration, or (MUC), means the maximum atmospheric concentration of a hazardous substance from which an employee can be expected to be protected when wearing a respirator, and is determined by the assigned protection factor (APF) of the respirator or class of respirators and the exposure limit of the hazardous substance. The Maximum Use Concentration is usually determined mathematically. The formula requires you to multiply the assigned protection factor signed protection factor specified for a respirator by the permissible exposure limit, short-term exposure limit, ceiling limit, peak limit, or any other exposure limit.

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Penetration is the movement of chemicals through materials on a larger scale. This happens frequently in the workforce through holes created and tears in workers Personal Protective Equipment (or PPE).

Permeation is the process where a chemical dissolves in or is able to move through a barrier, this is done on a molecular scale. This often happens at such a small scale there is often no visible evidence of the chemicals permeating PPE and workers are completely unaware until they are harmed. Degradation is when the presence of a chemical has the ability to physically deteriorate the material of the PPE and its physical properties are changed due to the exposure.

There are two main types of respirators, Air Purifying Respirators, or APR, and Supplied Air Respirators, (SAR). 

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Air Purifying Respirators are where the air the w

orkers breathe is purified using cartridges or canisters. This group of respirators are further divided into three categories: particulate, gas & vapor, and combination. Particulate respirators are intended to catch particulates in the air such as dusts, fumes, mists, and other vapors. Combination respirators normally are used in areas that contain risks of both particulates and gases and vapors. Supplied Air Respirators are respirators where the air workers breathe is supplied from another source that is uncontaminated. There are separated into three categories. The categories are airline, combination, or self-contained breathing apparatus, or SBCA. Airline Respirators use a lightweight airline hose to deliver clean, breathable air from an uncontaminated source. Combination respirators have an auxiliary self-contained air supply that can be used if the primary supply fails. Self-Contained Air Breathable Air respirators consist of a wearable, clean air supply pack and normally used when there is a short time need to enter and escape from spaces that are or may be immediately dangerous to life.

Qualitative fit tests are based on the human senses smell, taste, or overall reaction to the chemical in order to determine if there is any contamination into the respirator piece. Quantitative fit tests measure the actual concentration of the contamination. A Written hazard assessment is used to identify a hazard in a workplace. For example, to assess the need for masks needed for workers who work in coal mines.

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Noise

Noise Reduction Ratings, or NRR’s, are units of measurement that are used to help determine the usefulness of hearing protection devices and to minimize sound exposure inside a workplace or working environment.  These ratings are shortened to Db, a term used to categorize the power or density inside a sound. Ear plugs are made at different levels to accommodate for high sound exposure and ratings. Hearing protection equipment has to be tested and accepted by the American NationalStandards Institute (ANSI),  and also has to be in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Noise Reduction Rating is rated on a positive sliding scale that justifies the higher the number, the more capability of the device for noise reduction.

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The Noise Reduction Rating is calculated by taking the noise exposure of the environment in decibels, subtracting by seven, then dividing by two. For example, if you are working in an environment where the noise of exposure is 90db and you are wearing ear plugs with an NRR of 33dB, the calculation would be 33-7 = 26. 26/2 = 13. That means your new noise exposure level would be 77db. Multiple reduction devices can be worn at the same time to reduce your exposure.

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Standard Threshold Shift, or STS, is the occupational noise exposure standard. It is known as a change in hearing threshold, relative to the baseline audio of the employee. It equates to a hearing loss of 10db or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000 hz or Hertz, in either ear. Over time, someone with STS will eventually have a hard time understanding people talking to them and have a hard time generally hearing other sounds in their atmosphere. Through aging, Standard Threshold Shift usually occurs naturally. Technically not naturally, but through the course of life. Having hands on jobs increases your likelihood of hearing damage because you are exposed to loud sounds on a more regular basis for longer amounts of time over the course of your career, jumpstarting hearing loss. This is why older people have a tougher time hearing than younger people do.

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an exchange rate is the increase of decrease in decibels corresponding to twice or half the noise fdon.e this rate is used to calculate the time that an employee is allowed to be in a particular environment. OSHA uses an exchange rate of 5db. For example, if the exchange rate is 5db, 90db produces twice the noise dose that 85 db produces when the exposure is constant.

To best illustrate different sounds, I decided to measure both high and low noise environments.  I first measured the floor in my apartment, because I was the only person home and it was very quiet. For the high noise environment measurement, I used the Pigskin Bar on Court street while I was working one night. The screenshots for both are attached below. Potential adverse effects that may occur by staying in the Pigskin for extended amounts of time, and those would be temporary hearing loss and possibly permanent hearing loss.