Healthcare Hygiene magazine April 2021 April 2021 | Page 14

with altered enforcement include postponing annual staff fit testing , 4 the use of respirators beyond the manufacturer ’ s recommended shelf life , 5 extended use and limited reuse , the utilization of respirators from other countries not approved by NIOSH , 6 and decontamination for reuse . 7
Under the Biden administration , employers should expect increased enforcement by OSHA . Effective March 12 , 2021 , OSHA is now implementing a National Emphasis Program to ensure that employees in high-hazard industries are protected from SARS-CoV-2 transmission . 8 The new directive emphasizes more resources to provide on-site workplace inspections , targeting healthcare settings such as hospitals , nursing homes and assisted living , and emergency response settings . In order to be prepared , review or create your worksite-specific RPP ,
Click to View Implementation of a Respiratory Protection Program in Long-Term Care
update and edit old procedures , and ensure staff are educated in proper respirator use to ensure employee safety .
If you are in a long-term care setting and would like to learn more , visit ECRI for a comprehensive learning module that provides an in-depth foundation on establishing and sustaining your own RPP .
Hillary Hei , MPH , CIC , LSSGB , is an infection preventionist with ECRI , an independent , nonprofit organization improving the safety , quality , and cost-effectiveness of care across all healthcare settings worldwide .
References :
1 . OSHA . Standard 1910.134 : Respiratory Protection . https :// www . osha . gov / laws-regs / regulations / standardnumber / 1910 / 1910.134 . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .
2 . OSHA National News Release . January 8 , 2021 . U . S . Department of Labor ’ s OSHA Announces $ 3,930,381 in Coronavirus Violations . https :// www . osha . gov / news / newsreleases / national / 01082021 . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .
3 . OSHA Enforcement Memorandum . April 16 , 2020 . Discretion in Enforcement when Considering an Employer ’ s Good Faith Efforts During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) Pandemic . https :// www . osha . gov / memos / 2020-04-16 / discretionenforcement-when-considering-employers-good-faith-efforts-during . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .
4 . OSHA Enforcement Memorandum . March 14 , 2020 . Temporary Enforcement Guidance – Healthcare Respiratory Protection Annual Fit-Testing for N95 Filtering Facepieces During the COVID-19 Outbreak . https :// www . osha . gov / memos / 2020-03-14 / temporary-enforcement-guidance-healthcare-respiratory-protection-annual-fit . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .
5 . OSHA Enforcement Memorandum . April 8 , 2020 . Expanded Temporary Enforcement Guidance on Respiratory Protection Fit-Testing for N95 Filtering Facepieces in All Industries During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) Pandemic . https :// www . osha . gov / memos / 2020-04-08 / expanded-temporary-enforcement-guidancerespiratory-protection-fit-testing-n95 . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .
6 . OSHA Enforcement Memorandum . April 3 , 2020 . Enforcement Guidance for Use of Respiratory Protection Equipment Certified under Standards of Other Countries or Jurisdictions During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) Pandemic . https :// www . osha . gov / memos / 2020-04-03 / enforcement-guidance-use-respiratory-protectionequipment-certified-under . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .
7 . OSHA Enforcement Memorandum . April 24 , 2020 . Enforcement Guidance on Decontamination of Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) Pandemic . https :// www . osha . gov / memos / 2020-04-24 / enforcement-guidance-decontamination-filtering-facepiece-respirators-healthcare . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .
8 . OSHA Direction . March 12 , 2021 . National Emphasis Program – Coronavirus Diseases 20219 ( COVID-19 ). https :// www . osha . gov / sites / default / files / enforcement / directives / DIR _ 2021-01 _ CPL-03 . pdf . Accessed March 22 , 2021 .

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