tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9054135.post113123541832800813..comments2023-10-28T11:53:14.579-04:00Comments on BrooklynDodger: Surgical strike from NSC, CDC to WHOBrooklynDodgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282505055049702763noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9054135.post-1131266041052156362005-11-06T03:34:00.000-05:002005-11-06T03:34:00.000-05:00Well, there's plenty of evidence that chicken... c...Well, there's plenty of evidence that chicken... crap (for lack of a better PG word) causes histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis and other respiratory fungal diseases. <BR/><BR/>You're absolutely right about the choice of respiratory protection here. I can't understand the practice of wearing simple surgical masks in industries and situations like these. It's pointless and dangerous, and I'm not convinced it's 'better than nothing' because it gives a false sense of security. I've worn both kinds of protection in appropriate situations, and surgical masks don't seal or prevent inhalation of particles. In industry we want to protect the worker from the hazard, while in the hospital the worker <I>is</I> the hazard (except in cases of reverse isolation, for tuberculosis and immune-compromised persons). Two masks for two entirely different purposes. <BR/><BR/>As an RN (former COHN) who has given more than 2,000 quantitative fit tests, the real reason they're talking about surgical masks instead of respirators is crystal clear to me, and likely to you also - this industry is averse to annual fit testing and its associated costs, just like they're averse to ergonomics. N95 masks and half-face respirators cost a lot more than surgical face masks, but surgical masks <I>appear</I> to give protection, and appearance is important to appease the workforce. <BR/><BR/>I never have understood why employers won't spend $100 per employee and a half-hour a year for fit testing to give adequate respiratory protection, but will at the same time spend thousands more on insurance costs for treating disease these workers get on the job. It's a conundrum which I doubt will ever be resolved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com