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28 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com Canada in London, Ont. "It's really difficult to determine the thresholds at which the body will react." New protocols boost protectioN To address these longstanding concerns — which affect not just pharmaceutical companies, but other businesses as well — the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) updated its standard for respirator use and care. Known as CSA Z94.4-11, this latest edition builds on the previous version from 2002 and provides new criteria for respirator fit testing. It also describes how to mitigate risks from certain substances for which there are no defined exposure limits. For an employee who dons a respi- rator to perform his work, the device must fit as snugly as possible. Fit testing ensures a respirator creates a perfect seal and keeps the wearer from inhaling anything other than air. New fit-testing protocols in CSA Z94.4- 11 guide health and safety officers through testing best practices. The pro- tocols also talk about factors involved in ensuring worker safety. For example, the standard explains that the person who conducts the fit test should: • use methods applicable to the type of respirator (most respirator manu- facturers offer fit testing guidelines) • verify that the person wearing the device knows how to create an effective seal • know how to interpret test results • document user and respirator performance. Sean Donovan, a Toronto-based senior product-line manager at MSA, notes in previous versions of the stan- dard, the fit testing processes "left too much open to interpretation." He welcomes CSA's update. But, he adds, fit tests alone are not enough. Echoing Duthie, Donovan points out companies need to enforce personal- hygiene policies. Meanwhile, Dennis Capizzi, MSA's respiratory product-line manager in Cranberry, Pa, says busi- nesses should make sure employees who must wear facial hair long (for reli- gious reasons, for example) also wear appropriate respiratory protection, such as hoods rather than masks. "As long as the beard isn't so long as to break the seal around the neck, (the seal is) effective," Capizzi says. Zap risks with coNtrol baNdiNg Regarding substances with no expo- sure limits, CSA Z94.4-11 prescribes "control banding" as a way to manage risks. Developed by the pharmaceuti- cal industry itself, control banding matches controls such as ventilation to a range or "band" of hazards, cov- ering everything from eye irritation to risk of cancer. Control banding enables health and safety professionals to pinpoint appropriate protections even when no one knows how much is too much of a substance. It's particularly effective in the pharmaceutical sector, where each company uses unique materials and compounds. "What's required is going to be dif- ferent for every workplace," says Chris Liddy, occupational health and safety specialist with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) in Hamilton. CSA Z94.4-11 suggests control banding specifically for "bioaersols." These are airborne particles that con- tain or come from living organisms. According to the standard: "Bio- aerosols include living or dead microorganisms, fragments, toxins and particulate waste products from all variety of living things. They are capable of causing infection or adverse or allergic response." The standard offers charts to help health and safety officers identify the appropriate protection for the hazard level. The document also explains in some detail how control banding works and how it applies to respirator selection. Curts from 3M points out that con- trol banding might make life more complicated for health and safety pro- fessionals. Still, it's worth the effort. "There's a lot of upfront work, but at the end you know exactly what you need," he says. Along the same lines, Feiner from Honeywell suggests every health and safety specialist involved in protect- ing workers from exposure risks should know and understand CSA Z94.4-11. Yes, the document is long, "but the information is critical," she says. New techNology New standards are all well and good, but of course companies also need to invest in personal protective equip- ment. A number of manufacturers stand ready with advanced respirator technologies. The latest powered air-purifying res- pirators (PAPRs) warn users when the devices require maintenance. "These are respirators that use a blower to provide a steady flow of filtered air," Feiner says. "Some com- panies… have added alarms that alert the user when the battery is getting low and when the filters are clogged." Health and safety experts point out pharmaceutical companies also employ targeted ventilation systems and documented procedures to main- tain workers' respiratory health. Curts adds that organizations rely on moni- toring by supervisors and vigilance on the part of the company's joint health and safety committee to assess risks. As a whole, these protective mecha- nisms offer pharmaceutical employees — five o'clock shadow or not — peace of mind, even though they work in a potentially dangerous field. Stefan Dubowski is a freelance writer based in Ottawa. He can be reached at dubowski@stiffsentences.com.