Wednesday 9 May 2018

Ebola, other infectious diseases and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE face masks etc.)

WARNING: consult an appropriately qualified agent with any safety concerns, not blogs posts or opinions found on the Internet.

TL:DR; test and check Personal Protection Equipment before deployment or use. Don't just trust PPE to work as expected even if it says it should.

Ebola and similar contagious diseases are universally considered Class 4  Biohazards. That's the highest hazard level. Ebola in particular carries risk of high mortality rates and easy air and contact transmission and contamination which means dental or surgical masks and face guards are completely useless as personal protection (PPE), especially for prolonged exposure.

Or put more simply, Class 1 PPE items (dental/surgical masks and open face shields) will not in any way protect the wearer from Class 4 contaminants. This is equivalent to clearing a sewer in little more than a boiler suit and science goggles.

Class 4 Biohazards require positive-pressure equipment, self-contained or fed suits that are inflated like balloons so there is constant outward force that prevents ingress of contaminants through any gaps or openings.

For Ebola, Class 3 PPE should be considered the absolute minimum requirement, at least for initial response where time and mobility is crucial, not Class 1 - it may be cheap, but it's certainly not worth the risk.

When buying this type of personal protection equipment make sure it fits properly and check it functions as intended, make 'valved' or 'vented' masks for example have silicone or other flexible membranes that mitigate moisture build-up during exhale.

Upon investigation however, such baffles can often be found to not sit correctly, or might be slightly malformed - when worn a cool breeze will be felt highlighting the issue, the baffle doesn't fully close during intake as it should. This is particularly common on cheap masks and equipment, even though they may be marked PP2 or PP3.

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