ANSI/AIHA Z88.6 - Respirator - Physical Qualifications for Personnel. This standard provides information and guidance to physicians or other licensed health care professionals (PLHCPs) to assist them in determining the medical suitability of personnel for respirator use.
ANSI/AIHA Z9.7 - Recirculation of Air from Industrial Process Exhaust Systems: This standard established minimum criteria for the design and operation of a re-circulating industrial process exhaust ventilation systems used for contaminant control.
If you are interested in joining any of these ANSI/AIHA Standards Subcommittees contact David Hicks for an application form.
The Accredited Standards Committee Z9 on Ventilation Systems is proposing two new standards for development. The formation of subcommittees for both standards has been approved by the Z9 Committee members and the Committee is seeking new members.
This Standard will apply to dust control systems with combustible solids that are a fire, deflagration, explosion or detonation hazard. This Standard will augment the content of other Z9 Standards. This standard will offer prudent practice regarding:
a. Analysis of systems for combustible dust hazardsb. Design guidance to mitigate combustible dust hazards.c. Maintenance recommendations to insure systems operate per original design intent.
The subcommittee chair is Lee Hathon and vice chair is Theodore Knutson.
This standard will apply to laminar flow fume hoods (LFFH) that use filtered supply air and ducted exhaust to protect products inside the hood from external contamination and exhaust hazardous effluents from the building. This standard will provide guidelines for design, operation, testing and maintenance of laminar flow fume hoods. Laminar flow fume hoods are complicated exposure control devices that must be designed and operated properly to provide both product and personnel protection. At present, there are no standards that provide guidelines for design, operation and testing. As such, there is little consistency between LFFHs and how they operate. In addition, there is no guidance on methods to conduct tests to ensure proper performance or monitor and maintain reliable operation. This standard will provide the necessary guidelines to improve performance of LFFHs and ensure better protection for personnel working with potentially hazardous materials.
The subcommittee chair is Thomas C. Smith and vice chair is Dr. Gerhard Knutson.
The main objective of this standard would be to develop a methodology for certifying a BSL-3. That is what should be measured and how. Acceptance criteria would be recommended but it would be established by the owners. This would expand to testing the whole lab.
Subcommittee formation has been approved by the Z9 Committee and work on the draft standard has started in 2011.
The Z88 Committee will vote in 2010 to approve the formation of a subcommittee to work on this standard. It will cover all respiratory equipment not covered by NFPA testing requirements, including, but not limited to: airline respirators, paprs, airline escape respirators, sandblast and painting helmets and hoods, and negative pressure respirators [non limited use]. The standard will establish properly trained technicians who will follow appropriate performance testing standards to assure respirators continue to perform at their designed protection factors after maintenance and on an ongoing basis. Stakeholders will include manufacturer's designers, testers, program administrators, and end users.
ANSI Accredited Standards Committee Z88, Respiratory Protection develops safe practices and requirements for using respirators for the protection of the respiratory system from the inhalation of particulate matter, oxygen deficiencies, noxious gases, and vapors as well as programs, practices, procedures, and equipment related to industrial respiratory protection. ANSI ASC Z9, Health and Safety Standards for Ventilation Systems encompasses standards for the design, operation, and maintenance of equipment to provide a safe atmosphere in industrial, manufacturing or construction operations by removing harmful substances by either local exhaust or general ventilation and safely disposing of such substances, and such supplementary standards on personal protection as may be necessary to prescribe methods for the protection of workers. Both committees continue to work to maintain and update existing standards, establish new standards, and resolve issues concerning the standards. ASC Z88 is currently calling for new members from the manufacturing sector. ASC Z9 is calling for new members from the manufacturing and general interest sectors. If you are interested in joining either the ASC Z88 or ASC Z9 Committee, please contact David Hicks.
The ASC Z88 Secretariat for Respiratory Protection announces the formation and invitation for membership participation to the newly formed subcommittee for development of respirator “assigned protection factors” (APFs). This subcommittee will be tasked to develop APFs for all class and style of commercially manufactured respirators that are “approved” under testing and certification requirements of published National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) criteria. The APF subcommittee will develop consensus criteria to be incorporated into the most upcoming version of Z88.2, Standard Practices For Respiratory Protection.
The subcommittee scope is to develop a national consensus standard for APFs. This Standard would present the minimum expected level of respiratory protection that would be provided by a properly functioning and used respirator or a class of respirators to properly fitted and trained users in the workplace.
For information or to join the Subcommittee please email AIHA Standards.