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N-95 Respirator Program

VEHS staff provide annual N-95 respirator fit-testing to several thousands of VUMC personnel who are covered under the VUMC Respiratory Protection Program because they are exposed to endemic or novel infectious respiratory hazards or they may be exposed to hazardous aerosolized pharmaceuticals.

Attention: The Sperian brand N95 respirators that are used at VUMC are no longer being manufactured and the 3M brand 1870 tri-fold respirator has been selected to replace them. VEHS is now fit-testing with the new respirator. There will be plenty of time for VUMC employees and students to be fitted with the new respirator, as the Sperian brand respirators will continue to be stocked until Fall 2013. Furthermore, this change does not affect individuals who have been fit-tested with the 3M 1860S blue molded respirator. VUMC personnel should continue to use the respirators that they have been fitted to wear as indicated by the sticker on their ID badge. Personnel must not wear the new respirator until they have been successfully fit-tested with the new respirator. Click here for more information about this change .

Forms & References
Request Fit-Testing
Questions

Forms & References Login is required to access most of these documents.

NOTICE:

VEHS does not accept fit-testing documentation from other institutions. If you will be required to wear a respirator while working at Vanderbilt, then you must be fit-tested at Vanderbilt.

VEHS does not provide fit-testing services for individuals who will wear respirators for non-Vanderbilt applications.

N-95 Particluate Respirator Forms
- Initial N95 Particulate Respirator Approval Form:
  Complete sections 1 and 2 of this form and bring it with you to your fit-testing session.
- N95 Particulate Respirator Approval Form, Annual Refit-Testing:
  Complete section 1 of this form and bring it with you to your fit-testing session only if you have been fit-tested with an N-95 respirator at VUMC within the last calendar year.
N-95 Respirator Fit-testing and Training References
- Exposure to Airborne Endemic Diseases
- N-95 Respirators for Pharmacy Personnel
Departments Required to Have Annual N-95 Respirator Fit-testing
- List of Departments Required to be Fit-Tested
  This document indicates which departments are required to have annual N-95 respirator fit-testing and which are not required to have annual fit-testing.
- Managers and supervisors can also determine whether or not their department must be fit-tested by running the report titled "Record of Compliance in OHC" in MyVandy. If the N95 Compliant column in this report lists "N/A" for everyone within a department, then fit-testing is not required for that department.
Fit-testing for Staff with Facial Hair
The N-95 Respirator Training Video is 12 minutes long and is available in the Windows Media Video format.
VUMC Respiratory Protection Program

Where Do You Get Your Respirator?

N-95 respirators are available from the Service Centers and from Central Supply. VEHS does not supply respirators.

Regulations and Policies:

The OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).
VUMC Policy "CDC Isolation Categories, IC 001" concerning Airborne Precautions.

Request Annual Fit-Testing

Request fit-testing for groups.

Supervisors should send a message to respirator@vanderbilt.edu to request scheduling for groups at least one month in advance. (Please note that if you wish to request fit-testing for your group from January through March, you should make the request earlier, as fit-testing dates for these months are usually scheduled two or more months in advance.) Supervisors should instruct participants to bring a completed N95 Particulate Respirator Approval Form when they go to be fit-tested.

Regularly scheduled fit-testing for individuals

Fit-testing Schedule
Date	Time	Location
04/11/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN
04/15/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN
05/02/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN
05/16/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN
06/03/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN
06/14/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN
07/15/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN
07/18/2013	7:30 - 9:30 am & 1:30 - 3:00 pm	A-0201 MCN

Fit-testing is available for individuals according to this schedule.

Registration is not required; individuals will be fit-tested in the order they arrive. However, please note that space is limited, so supervisors should not send groups of more than five people at the same time. Fit-testing usually takes about 30 minutes. Participants should bring a completed N95 Particulate Respirator Approval Form when they go to be fit-tested.

Those who need to be fit tested with an N-95 respirator due to an animal allergy are not fitted during these regularly scheduled sessions.

Directions to A-0201 MCN: If proceeding from the basement of VUH through the tunnel to MCN, pass the MCN post office on the right. The corridor walls will change from off-white to tan. When the walls are tan (in the B corridor), take the first corridor on the right (the S corridor). Proceed to the end of that corridor. Turn Left. A-0201 is the first door on the left.

Request fit-testing for individuals
If you cannot participate in one of the scheduled sessions or with your work group, send fit-testing requests to respirator@vanderbilt.edu.

Questions?

Send questions about respirators or fit-testing to respirator@vanderbilt.edu or contact someone in the Hospital/Clinic Safety section.