KSA MOBILE OCCUPATIONAL SERVICES

Mobile OCCUPATIONAL Services:

Can't send your employees in for testing? Worried about disruption in the workplace? Interested in reducing non-productive employee time? Concerned about testing first, second and third shifts? Let KSA Occupational Services come to you. With our new vehicle’s and custom designed trailers, we can perform services right at your location or right inside our mobile vehicle. We test from Minnesota to Mississippi Nationwide and many employers enjoy the convenience of never having their employees leave their work premises. 

 KSA Occupational Services can accommodate all work shifts and can perform the following services:

Respirator Fit Testing

Are your employees at risk when wearing a respirator?

·        Do your employees have a medical clearance for respirator usage?

·        Are your employees’ respirators fitted and worn correctly?

·        Are your employees trained on care and maintenance of their individual respirators?

KSA offers 2 types of respirator fit testing: On-site on your schedule

Qualitative Fit Testing: 

·        Respirator condition evaluation

·        Properly adjust and fit respirator

·        Negative pressure seal check of respirator

·        Administer Bitrex or nebulized saccharine (taste aversion agents), Isomyl acetate (banana oil) while using OSHA Fit Test Protocol 1910.134(f) 

Quantitative Fit Testing: 

·        Respirator condition evaluation

·        Properly adjust and fit respirator

·        Sampling and measurement of air particles in face piece using latest equipment-PortaCount

·        OSHA Fit Test Protocol 1910.134(f)

Pulmonary Function Testing (Spirometry)

The results of the pulmonary function test assist a medical professional in determining a candidate's ability to safely wear a respirator on the job. Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) is carried out to comply with OSHA's respiratory protection (CFR 1910.134) and respiratory surveillance (CFR 1910.1043) and other standards. PFTs measure several values, two of which are essential. Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) is the total volume of air you can blow out of your lungs. Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) is the volume of air you can blow out in one second. A third measurement, Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF 25%-75%) is a measure of the amount of air you can blow out during the center portion of the exhalation. It is a more sensitive measure of early airway disease than is the FEV1. A patient's PFT results are compared to calculated normal values corresponding to his/her age, height, and sex.

Both the National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH) policy and the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation are in fundamental agreement that the primary means to prevent occupational diseases caused by breathing contaminated air is through the use of feasible engineering controls such as enclosures, confinement of operations, ventilation, or substitution with less toxic materials. Only when effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being installed or maintained, should respirators be utilized as the primary means of worker protection.

OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire

The OSHA standard requires that any employee who wears a respirator must be medically evaluated to ensure the safety and health of the employee. Employees who work in environments where exposure to harmful contaminants or where oxygen-deficient air are a concern should wear respirators.

However, respirators can make breathing more difficult and not everyone is able to wear a respirator. Some conditions that could prevent someone from using a respirator include heart conditions, lung disease, and psychological conditions like claustrophobia. Before respirators are used or fit-tested, employees must be medically cleared to wear them. KSA Occupational Services can evaluate employees using the OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire.

This confidential questionnaire is an important tool for medical personnel to identify “red flags” to evaluate whether there are physical conditions which may be of concern with respirator use by the employee. Further medical evaluation and testing, such as the use of Spirometry breathing tests and physical examinations may be used to determine if employees can use negative pressure respirators or potentially use a Powered Air Purifying Respirators instead (PAPR)

 Hearing Conservation & Audiometric Screening and training

Audiometric testing monitors an employee's hearing over time. It also provides an opportunity for employers to educate employees about their hearing and the need to protect it.

The employer must establish and maintain an audiometric testing program. The important elements of the program include baseline audiograms, annual audiograms, training and follow-up procedures. Employers must make audiometric testing available at no cost to all employees who are exposed to an action level of 85 decibels (dB) or above, measured as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/

Baseline Audiogram:

The baseline audiogram is the reference audiogram against which future audiograms are compared. Employers must provide baseline audiograms within 6 months of an employee's first exposure at or above an 8-hour TWA of 85 dB. An exception is allowed when the employer uses a mobile test van for audiograms. In these instances, baseline audiograms must be completed within 1 year after an employee's first exposure to workplace noise at or above a TWA of 85 dB.

Annual Audiograms:

Employers must provide annual audiograms within 1 year of the baseline audiogram. It is important to test worker's hearing annually to identify deterioration in their hearing ability as early as possible. This enables employers to initiate protective follow-up measures before hearing loss progresses. Employers must compare annual audiograms to baseline audiograms to determine whether the audiogram is valid and whether the employee has lost hearing ability or experienced a standard threshold shift (STS). An STS is an average shift in either ear of 10 dB or more at 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 hertz.

For maximum protection (of both your employee and your company) and to test specifically for the ability to hear warning signals, an audiogram should be performed:

·        Pre-employment

·        One year afterward for comparison

·        Every year thereafter

·        Prior to assignment in a noisy area

·        At re-assignment out of a noisy area

·        At the termination of employment

Hearing tests can be performed at our Gallatin, TN location, and also via our mobile services vehicles. All hearing instruments are carefully calibrated on an annual basis in accordance with specific manufacturer's recommendations.

CONTACT US: Call 615-426-9556