NIOSH Issues Recommendations for Protection Against Biological Agents

April 28, 2009 – The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released recommendations for the selection and use of respirators and personal protective clothing against biological agents. The recommendation is based on current understanding of the potential agents and existing recommendations for biological aerosols and is oriented towards acts of terrorism.

NIOSH views respiratory protection and use of other personal protective equipment (PPE) in the context of a comprehensive program or incident command system that provides for the safety and health of emergency responders. The recommendations for personal protective equipment, including respiratory protection and protective clothing, are based on the anticipated level of exposure risk associated with different response situations.

NIOSH recommends against wearing standard fire fighter turnout gear in potentially contaminated areas when responding to reports of terrorist activities involving biological agents, provided there are no other hazards that would require turnout gear.

Post-incident decontamination of protective equipment and clothing ensures that any particles that may have settled on the outside of protective equipment are removed before taking off the gear. Decontamination sequences currently used for hazardous material emergencies should be used as appropriate for the level of protection employed and agent encountered.

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