Respirators for ethylene oxide exposure

November 13, 1984

Mr. John S. Fenerty
Director
Materials Management
Chestnut Hill Hospital
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Fenerty:

Mr. Patrick Tyson has asked me to respond to your letter of October 29, concerning respiratory protection from ethylene oxide.

The required respirators for protection against the ethylene oxide (EtO) are prescribed in Table 1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ethylene oxide standard, Federal Register, June 22, 1984, p. 25798 (enclosed). With the exception of the canisters, all other respirators such as the positive-pressure supplied air respirators and positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus are available at many safety equipment suppliers. I do not believe that you will have any difficulty in locating a supplier in Philadelphia. However the Testing and Certification Branch (TCB) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has prepared a list of respiratory manufacturers and you may wish to contact them at the following address for further information:

Ms. Nancy Bollinger, Chief
Testing and Certification Branch
NIOSH
944 Chestnut Ridge Road
Morgantown, West Virginia 26505

Use of respirators must be in accordance with the requirements set forth in the EtO standard as well as the OSHA standard on respiratory protection, 29 CFR 1910.134. A copy is enclosed for your reference.

Sincerely,
Edward J. Baier
Director
Directorate of Technical Support

Enclosure

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]