N95 FITS TESTING
N95 FITS Testing Appointments for Students: Appointment Request
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) designed a hospital
respiratory protection program toolkit to assist hospitals in developing and implementing
effective respiratory protection programs with an emphasis on preventing the transmission
of aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs) to healthcare personnel. Healthcare personnel
are designated as individuals who provide patient care in a healthcare setting or
support the delivery of healthcare by providing clerical, dietary, housekeeping, engineering,
security, or maintenance services. Healthcare personnel may potentially be exposed
to ATD pathogens. Aerosols are particles or droplets suspended in air. ATDs are
diseases transmitted when infectious agents, which are suspended or present in particles
or droplets, contact the mucous membranes or are inhaled. NIOSH [2015] online
The Joint Commission and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), National Personal Protective
Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) collaborated to develop a new educational monograph
designed to assist hospitals in implementing their respiratory protection programs
(RPPs). Infographics, fact sheets, blogs, videos, and journal articles can be found
online at the CDC website.
The Office of Institutional Health and Occupational Health and the Office of Safety
Services with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) have begun the
process of creating and implementing the new FITS Testing Center protocols to ensure
implementation of CDC recommended standards and procedures for proper FITS testing
of N95 masks to ensure the safety and security to the health and well-being of individuals
who provide direct patient care or work in labs. The TTUHSC guidelines for using
N-95 respirators are found in TTUHSC OP 75.12 to provide guidance in the voluntary use of N-95 respirators and to promote compliance.
