Dust Masks/Respirators
A N95, R95, P95 dust mask, or more protective half/full face piece respirator should be worn for respiratory protection during a spill cleanup. A dust mask/respirator should also be worn whenever there is significant risk of exposure through inhalation during preparation and administration of antineoplastic agents. Disposable dust masks should be disposed of after each use or at least at the end of the work day. Before any planned respirator or dust mask use in the research lab, a respirator use evaluation is needed by EHS. Please contact EHS at 335-8501 to request a dust mask/respirator use evaluation.
The use of a full face piece respirator with appropriate chemical cartridge is strongly recommended for handling large spills of hazardous drugs including hazardous drug solutions reconstituted in aqueous-organic solvent mixture or intravenous (IV) solutions. If half/full face respirators are used, cartridges should be replaced as per manufacturer recommendations.