Abstract
Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted an evaluation of the Ventilation/Filtration System (VFS) developed for the United States Postal Service (USPS) mail processing equipment - the Loose Mail Distribution System (LMDS) and Dual Pass Rough Cull (DPRC). The VFS was developed and installed by a private contractor hired by the USPS to reduce the potential for employee exposure to harmful substances that could be contained in mail pieces processed by the equipment. NIOSH was asked to assist the USPS in evaluating controls for this and other mail processing equipment after the 2001 terrorist attacks that used the mail as a delivery system for anthrax. Evaluations were based on a variety of tests including tracer gas (TG) experiments, air velocity measurements and smoke release observations. All three tests were made to evaluate contaminant capture efficiency of the VFS at the New Universal "Dump Into" Hamper Dumper Hoods for the DPRC and showed that the system meets or exceeds minimum USPS contaminant capture requirements in this area. However, only TG experiments and smoke release observations were made at the New Universal "Dump Into" Hamper Dumper Hood for the LMDS since the final configuration of the VFS hood was not in place. It is recommended that a full analysis including smoke release observations, TG experimentation and air velocity measurements be made at the New Universal "Dump Into" Hamper Dumper Hood for the LMDS when the final configuration is implemented.
Keywords
Control-equipment; Control-technology; Environmental-contamination; Environmental-control-equipment; Filtration; Ventilation; Ventilation-equipment; Ventilation-hoods; Ventilation-systems; Machine-operation; Postal-employees; Air-flow; Exhaust-gases; Exhaust-ventilation; Gases; Measurement-equipment; Testing-equipment; Engineering-controls; Region-5