NIOSH Will Conduct Comprehensive Respirator Use Survey Beginning November 2023

Insights from the survey will inform safety protocols and readiness for future pandemics.

  • By Robert Yaniz Jr.
  • Oct 16, 2023

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is preparing to launch a survey aimed at assessing the landscape of respirator use and practices across U.S. industries.

According to a release dated Oct. 12, the Survey of Respirator Use and Practices (SRUP) is set to kick off on Nov. 2, 2023. SRUP is the first effort to collect national data about respiratory protection since 2001, surveying employers about the number of companies and employees using respirators, the reasons behind their use and the associated management practices.

“Respirators offer workers and the public protection from hazards such as those created when providing healthcare to patients, using harsh chemicals for cleaning or manufacturing, or fighting wildland or structural fires,” Maryann D’Alessandro, director of NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, said in a statement. “We encourage all businesses to complete the survey about their respirator use and practices. This information is critical to informing future research and development within NIOSH’s Respirator Approval Program.”

The Respirator Approval Program is a global certification program to ensure respirators and relevant safety standards provide workers with effective protection. The new SRUP supports this program with the inclusion of new questions that account for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on industries such as manufacturing, healthcare and public safety.

NIOSH will begin inviting employers to complete this survey on November 2.

About the Author

Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.

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