Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is the day of the year dedicated to showing our significant others just how much we care. Boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, and wives all scurry to make the day special with chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners, and thoughtful gifts. Why? Because good relationships take work. Good relationships take maintenance.

Have you ever thought about your relationship with your personal protective equipment? For instance, the men and women, such as firefighters, who use Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) know that this device is their life partner of sorts—providing them with a breathable air source in the midst of hazardous environments. SCBA respirator users must be aware that problems with their device can arise if it is not properly maintained. Correct inspection, cleaning, upkeep, and service procedures are all vital to ensure optimum SCBA operation. Whether you are the user or the service technician of the SCBA, never assume that you know the best methods of carrying out these procedures. Unlike your human significant other, your respiratory partner comes with instructions to keep the relationship running smoothly. Pay close attention to the guidelines issued by the SCBA manufacturer for proper care and maintenance. (See the NIOSH/NPPTL User notice.)

sketch by Stephen R Leonard

It’s that time of year again – the time of mall madness and wracking our brains for gift ideas. Those of us reaching for the easy stocking stuffers are perhaps sharing the same idea – DVDs of this summer’s big screen blockbusters. We noticed many were of the superhero variety (The Dark Knight Rises, Avengers, Spiderman) and being the curious types, we couldn’t help but wonder how the superheroes’ clothing etc.  keeps them out of harm’s way.    

You see, our goal here at NIOSH is to keep heroes (of all varieties) safe so that they can, in turn, do their jobs of keeping the world safe. Not all heroes are equipped with an x-gene healing factor or impermeable skin. Therefore, personal protective equipment (PPE, for those of us who know hero-lingo) plays a vital role in protecting those who protect others.

Photo courtesy of MSA

What? You didn’t know it was N95 day? Don’t worry! Exchanging gifts is not a required practice. N95 Day is a time to recognize the importance of respiratory protection in the workplace and familiarize yourself with the resources out there to help you make educated decisions when selecting and wearing a respirator. There are many types of respirators and they all have their own function; it can be almost mind-boggling. So today (9/5, get it?) we focus our attention on the N95 filtering facepiece respirator because so many workers across a wide range of industries depend on the N95 for protection when working in environments with hazardous airborne particles. So nurses, construction workers, emergency responders, painters, gardeners and everyone else required to join the N95 club, raise your respirator in the air in celebration because today we unite under the banner of respiratory protection for all!