Bioaerosols: Control banding for improved respiratory protection

To compensate for the lack of occupational exposure values and toxicological data, as well as the limitations of current sampling techniques, a committee of experts proposed a control banding model for facilitating the selection of appropriate respiratory protection against the great diversity of infectious and non-infectious bioaerosols present in workplaces. Easy to use, the proposed model consists of the four risk groups used in biosafety (1. low risk for individuals and communities; 2. moderate risk for individuals, low for communities; 3. high risk for individuals, low for communities; 4. high risk for individuals and communities) and five exposure levels (very low, low, medium, high, very high). Data cross-tabulation is used to establish an assigned protection factor (APF) that occupational health and safety practitioners will take into account in choosing appropriate respiratory protective equipment.

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It’s time to act!: Preventing exposure to carcinogens

Today the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) published a quick and easy guide to cancer prevention in the workplace.

The brochure, Are there carcinogens in your workplace? It’s time to act!, is intended for OHS officers, employers and workers. The Canadian Cancer Society, which is dedicated to prevention, has welcomed its publication.

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Human Exposure to Vibration

From September 9 to 13, the IRSST will host the 36th meeting of the ISO/TC 108/SC 4—Human exposure to mechanical vibration and shock International Standards Committee and the European Committee for Standardization CEN/TC 231—Mechanical vibration and shock.

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Nanoparticles: Effectiveness of Respiratory Protection Filters

To minimize worker exposure to nanoparticles, a team of researchers has developed a methodology to assess the effectiveness of respiratory protective devices (RPDs) by reproducing, in a laboratory, conditions of exposure to particles of various sizes. Using an experimental test bed fitted with an air purification device, the scientists analyzed the performance of N95 filters, the type most commonly used; in addition, they studied the effect of air flow and particle size on the penetration of particles through the RPD, and the effect of duration of use and relative humidity on the efficiency of the filtration. The filters were tested at high airflow rates, specifically, constant flow rates of 85, 135, 270 and 360 litres of air per minute.

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Post-traumatic stress risk: police officers are less at risk than previously thought

Although police officers are at a high risk of experiencing traumatic events (TE) in their work, they are no more likely than the general population to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These are the findings from the second phase of an original and groundbreaking study published by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) on the risk and protective factors of post-traumatic stress reactions in Quebec police officers.

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Renewal of IRSST president and CEO’s mandate

The Board of Directors of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) has renewed the mandate of its president and CEO, Marie Larue, for another five-year term.

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The IRSST adopts a five-year research activity plan

The Board of Directors of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) unanimously approved a five-year scientific and technical production plan for 2013–2017 at its latest regular meeting. This plan is the result of numerous consultations held with our partners in the work and research communities to make certain that real OHS needs and emerging problems are taken into account in the workplace.

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Second edition: For Safe Use of Isocyanates

The second edition of the Guide for Safe Use of Isocyanates: An Industrial Hygiene Approach is designed to facilitate occupational disease prevention through recognition, evaluation and control of the risks associated with exposure to these toxic substances, which are found in products such as automobile paint. Based on the latest developments, the guide discusses respiratory and dermal exposure as well as other safety hazards. It also describes various means of prevention.

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Scientific Advisory Board: Appointment of Edwin Bourget

At its regular meeting on April 18 and on recommendation by the president and CEO of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), the Board of Directors appointed a new representative of the scientific and technical communities to sit on the Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board. The new appointee is Edwin Bourget, recipient of numerous honours and distinctions, including the Québec government’s Prix Armand-Frappier 2012, which recognizes outstanding contributions to scientific research.

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Scientific Advisory Board: Appointment of Léonard Aucoin

At its regular meeting on April 18, the board of directors of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) ratified the president and CEO’s recommendation concerning the appointment of a new representative of the scientific and technical communities to the Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board. The new appointee is founder, president and CEO of InfoVeille Santé, Léonard Aucoin, who was decorated with the title of Knight by the Ordre national du Québec in 2010.

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