From: Ralph Froehlich <rfroehlich**At_Symbol_Here**HELIXENV.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse: The NIOSH Guidance has Been Released!
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2020 14:25:38 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 02628B51-20B9-4627-8882-9B4213E4ABCD**At_Symbol_Here**helixenv.com
In-Reply-To <16DA272A-72E6-4019-AE36-B696A53CCC0B**At_Symbol_Here**smu.edu>


As 3M reports, the use of any disinfection method NOT approved by FDA will require significant investments in resources to:


1-Document that the method is effective for viruses like COVID-19
2-Filtering efficiency is not degraded by method
3-Fit is not affected by method
4-Respirator is safe to wear after disinfection (no off-gassing of disinfectant chemical)

Why bother to waste your resources if H2O2 vapor disinfection has already been approved?


Ralph A. Froehlich, CIH, CSP, QEP
Helix Environmental, Inc. 
(937) 226-0650 office
rfroehlich**At_Symbol_Here**helixenv.com


On Apr 1, 2020, at 2:07 PM, "Chance, Brandon" <bchance**At_Symbol_Here**MAIL.SMU.EDU> wrote:

Martin,
 
The metal nasal strip is concerning to me regarding the microwave heat approach.   Now I am thinking of using the moist heat method in the oven, just need to find appropriate containers and racks.
 
Regards,
 
Brandon S. Chance, MS, CCHO
Director of Environmental Health and Safety
Southern Methodist University
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> on behalf of "Bell,Martin" <mwb32**At_Symbol_Here**DREXEL.EDU>
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 12:52 PM
To: "DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU" <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse: The NIOSH Guidance has Been Released!
 
We were initially thinking about using the same method until the NIOSH Guidance was released. We are now develop a protocol for Microwave Steam Heat. It presents some challenges but I think we can overcome the issues.
 
Martin W. Bell, M.S. CIH CSP 
Director, Environmental Compliance
Department of Environmental Health and Safety
 
 
 
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> on behalf of "Chance, Brandon" <bchance**At_Symbol_Here**MAIL.SMU.EDU>
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 1:26 PM
To: "DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU" <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse: The NIOSH Guidance has Been Released!
 

External.

We were preparing to start implementing the Stanford approach using a drying oven at 158F as we do not have the gaseous hydrogen peroxide setup available at SMU and it seemed like the best approach for disinfecting a few dozen masks at a time.  NIOSH however, recommends against dry heat due to degradation of filter media.
 
Thoughts? 
 
Regards,
 
Brandon S. Chance, MS, CCHO
Director of Environmental Health and Safety
Southern Methodist University
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> on behalf of Zack Mansdorf <mansdorfz**At_Symbol_Here**BELLSOUTH.NET>
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 11:46 AM
To: "DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU" <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse: The NIOSH Guidance has Been Released!
 
Mike and colleagues:
 
Duke University Hospitals has developed a very successful method using hydrogen peroxide and have presented a webinar on the method.  It has been quite successful and is very well vetted by a highly respected group of industrial hygienists, virologists, medical doctors, etc.
 
Please take a listen to their approach (which is in practice today).
 
 
Zack
S.Z. Mansdorf, PhD, CIH, CSP, QEP
Consultant in EHS and Sustainability
7184 Via Palomar
Boca Raton, FL  33433
561-212-7288
 
 
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of Wright, Mike
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 9:18 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse: The NIOSH Guidance has Been Released!
 
Here's the eagerly awaited NIOSH document summarizing the current situation. The paper bag method is at the very beginning. Useful tables address the other methods. And there is a warning that none of these methods is as good as getting a new N95 after each use.
 
 
Mike
 
Michael J. Wright
Director of Health, Safety and Environment
United Steelworkers
 
412-562-2580 office
412-370-0105 cell
 
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world."
                                                                                                                                                                                         Jack Layton
 
 
 
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Wright, Mike
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2020 7:32 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse
 
No. Some disinfectants are toxic if inhaled, they may compromise the integrity of the melt-blown fabric that the facepiece uses, and five days should be enough to sufficiently degrade the virus. However, I was only reporting what I've heard NIOSH is concluding. The guidance document isn't out yet.
 
Michael J. Wright
Director of Health, Safety and Environment
United Steelworkers
 
412-562-2580 office
412-370-0105 cell
 
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world."
                                                                                                                                                                                         Jack Layton
 
 
 
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Michael Buczynski
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 6:43 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse
 
Maybe spray it with a disinfectant spray before placing in the bag

 

On Mar 31, 2020, at 5:35 PM, Wright, Mike <mwright**At_Symbol_Here**usw.org> wrote:

NIOSH is about to come out with new guidance on disinfection and reuse. As I understand it, the Battelle system will get high marks. And one expedient is to put a used N95 in a paper bag for five days before reusing it, since there's pretty fair evidence that the virus will be sufficiently degraded in 2-3 days. We've been urging them to say in the guidance that these are stopgap measures, not as protective as getting a new respirator after every use, and only to be used in a supply crisis.
 
These are excruciating problems. We're talking to health care workers every day who are short of not just respirators, but gowns, face shields, booties, gloves. And for their patients the projected shortages aren't just beds and ventilators but, in one case, IV tubing. There's enough blame to go around, but some of it falls on hospital administrators, who take pride in running a hospital "like a business," and think an MBA outweighs a MPH or MD. And that's equally true for the "nonprofit" hospitals. Just-in-time supply works well in an auto plant. Not in a hospital; not in a pandemic.
 
Mike  
 
Michael J. Wright
Director of Health, Safety and Environment
United Steelworkers
 
412-562-2580 office
412-370-0105 cell
 
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world."
                                                                                                                                                                                         Jack Layton
 
 
 
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of jeskiekb**At_Symbol_Here**comcast.net
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 2:47 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse
 
I haven't had time to read through the full set of emails on this, so sorry if this is a repeat. Battelle has some basic information on the system on the website. 
 
 
Sent from my Verizon LG Smartphone
 
------ Original message------
Date: Mon, Mar 30, 2020 1:26 PM
Cc:
Subject:Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse
 

Well, thank you Jack and Stanford.  Finally a nice clear presentation on these issues stating what we all probably knew  deep in our kishehs.  Monona

-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Reidy <jreidy2**At_Symbol_Here**stanford.edu< a="">></jreidy2**At_Symbol_Here**stanford.edu<>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Sent: Mon, Mar 30, 2020 12:11 pm
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse

All,
 
As a side note, if you saw the original version of the Stanford item, they have since expanded on it significantly, including adding many disclaimers. https://stanfordmedicine.app.box.com/v/covid19-PPE-1-1
 
Sincerely,
 
Jack Reidy (he/him)
Research Safety Specialist
Environmental Health & Safety
Stanford University
484 Oak Road, Stanford, CA, 94305
 
 
 
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**princeton.edu< a="">> </dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**princeton.edu<>On Behalf Of Reinhardt, Peter
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2020 12:48 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] N-95 disinfection and reuse
 
Colleagues,
 
On 25 March the Stanford School of Medicine published a nice Q&A on the shortage of face masks and N-95 respirators. See file:///Users/pareinhardt/Downloads/mask-ppe-EBM-Stanford%20Medicine%20v1.2-3-25-2020.pdf
 
On pages 5-6 there is a good discussion of the various methods that can be used to disinfect N-95s, including a helpful table and references. One refence shows that hot water vapor from boiling water for ten minutes is an effective decontamination method.
 
At Yale, we plan to use vaporized hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate and reuse N-95s using the methods described here:
 
 
 
Pete Reinhardt
Director, Yale Office of Environmental Health and Safety
 
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