Industrial respirators: certifying the worker.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires medical evaluation of workers prior to certification for industrial respirator wear. For proper evaluation, the physician must understand the physiologic effects of respirators, the stresses of the work and the health of the worker. Most of the information needed to make certification decisions can be obtained from the history, the physical examination and observation of the worker exercising while wearing a respirator. Pulmonary function testing or cardiac stress testing may be helpful in difficult cases.
Kraut
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Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000592:standards*; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000592:standards*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance