Re: dust mask usage

["K. Paul Steinmeyer" <kpstein@gyral.com>]

At 04:45 PM 4/27/1999 -0500, Roy Craft wrote:
>My problem in hanging anything around the neck, waiting for high airborne
>radioactivity, or any other nasty material for that matter, is that the
>apparatus becomes a super dooper plooper scooper.  Large particles can
>become entrapped on the "filter' material, when lifted to the mouth, the
>not-respirable particle can then be inhaled or ingested.
>
>Just remembering an example from when half masks were authorized, and when
>the person talked, he let the half mask hang down. A 0.34 microcurie  cobalt
>particle was ingested.  Of Course, it came out the next morning.   The next
>time the particle may be dissolved in the mouth or gut.
>
>Roy C. Craft, CHP
>rcraft@wcnet.net

I didn't think that Joe Archer was serious about hanging a respirator
around someone's neck.  I'm sure, with a little thought, someone could come
up with an acceptable container that would give quick and easy access to
the respirator, but not be cumbersome for the worker to carry around.  Dose
reduction is the point of the whole exercise.

K. Paul Steinmeyer

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