NCJ Number
193252
Date Published
October 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This paper presents recommendations for protecting workers from exposure to anthrax in work sites where mail is handled or processed.
Abstract
These interim recommendations are intended to assist personnel responsible for occupational health and safety in developing a comprehensive program to reduce potential cutaneous or inhalational exposure to Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) spores among workers, including maintenance and custodial workers, in work sites where mail is handled or processed. Workers should be trained in how to recognize and handle a suspicious piece of mail. In addition, each work site should develop an emergency plan describing actions to be taken when a known or suspected exposure to Bacillus anthracis occurs. The recommendations are divided into engineering, administrative, and housekeeping controls and personal protective equipment for workers. Engineering controls include an industrial vacuum cleaner equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for cleaning high-speed mail-sorting machinery; HEPA-filtered exhaust hoods in areas where dust is generated; and air curtains (using laminar air flow) in areas where large amounts of mail are processed. Administrative controls include developing strategies to limit the number of persons working at or near sites where aerosolized particles may be generated. During housekeeping, dry sweeping and dusting should be avoided. Instead, areas should be wet-cleaned and vacuumed with HEPA-equipped vacuum cleaners. Personal protective clothing and equipment may include: well-fitting impermeable gloves, possibly worn under heavier gloves; long-sleeved clothing and long pants to protect exposed skin; and NIOSH-approved respirators that are at least as protective as a N95 respirator or respirators equipped with P-type filters, depending on the nature of the air pollution.